demur on the part of the latter. Blake
was his senior by a term; might have called on him any time these
three years; why should he want to make his acquaintance now? But
when Tom explained to him that it would be a kind thing to let
Blake come and coach up his history with him, for that unless he
took a high degree in the coming examination, he would have to
leave the college, and probably be ruined for life, Hardy at once
consented.

Tom did not venture to inquire for a day or two how the two hit
it off together. When he began cautiously to approach the
subject, he was glad to find that Hardy liked Blake. "He is a
gentleman, and very able," he said; "it is curious to see how
quickly he is overhauling Grey, and yet how Grey takes to him. He
has never looked scared at him (as he still does at you, by the
way) since the first night they met. Blake has the talent of
setting people at their ease without saying anything. I shouldn't
wonder if Grey thinks he has sound Church notions. It's a
dangerous talent, and may make a man very false if he doesn't
take care." Tom asked if Blake would be up in his history in
time. Hardy thought he might perhaps, but he had a great lee-way
to make up. If capacity for taking in cram would do it, he would
be all right. He had been well crammed in his science, and had
put him (Hardy) up to many dodges which might be useful in the
schools, and which you couldn't get without a private tutor.

Then Tom's first wine had gone off most successfully. Jervis and
Miller had come early and stayed late, and said all that was
handsome of the port, so that he was already a social hero with
the boating set. Drysdale, of course, had been there, rattling
away to everybody in his reckless fashion, and setting a good
example to the two or three fast men whom Tom knew well enough to
ask, and who consequently behaved pretty well, and gave
themselves no airs, though as they went away together they
grumbled slightly that Brown didn't give claret. The rest of the
men had shaken together well, and seemed to enjoy themselves. The
only drawback to Tom had been that neither Hardy nor Grey had
appeared. They excused themselves afterwards on the score of
reading, but Tom felt aggrieved in Hardy's case; he knew that it
was only an excuse.

Then the training had begun seriously, Miller had come up
specially for the first fortnight, to get them well in hand, as
he said. After they were once fairly started, he would h