--"you would like to cut off
Scaife's infernal head."

"Yes--I would," said John.

That same week he had a memorable talk with Warde; recorded because it
illustrates Warde's methods, and because, ultimately, it came to be
regarded by John as the turning-point of his intellectual life. Since
he had taken the Lower Remove, John's energies of mind and body had
been concentrated upon improving himself at games. Vaguely aware that
some of the School-prizes were within his grasp, he had not deemed them
worth the winning. To him, therefore, Warde abruptly began--

"You pride yourself upon being straight--eh, Verney?"

"Why, yes," said John, meeting Warde's blue eyes not without misgiving.

"Well, to me, you're about as straight as a note of interrogation. I
never see you without saying to myself, 'Is Verney going to bury his
talents in the cricket-ground?'"

"Oh!"

"Some parents, too many of them, send their boys here to make a few
nice friends, to play games, to scrape up the School with a remove once
a year. That, I take it, is not what Mrs. Verney wants?"

"N--no, sir."

"You ought to be in the Sixth--and you know it. Twice, or oftener, you
have deliberately taken things easy, because you wanted a soft time of
it during the summer term, and because you wished to remain in the same
form with Desmond, who, intellectually, is your--inferior. Is that
square dealing with your people?"

John was silent, but red of countenance. Warde went on, more
vehemently--

"I know all about your co-operative system of work. I have a harder
name for it. And I know just what you can do, and I want to see you do
it, for your own sake, for the sake of Mrs. Verney, and for the Hill's
sake. I've pushed you on at cricket a bit, haven't I? Yes. You owe
me something. Pay up by entering for a School-prize, and winning it!"

"A School-prize?"

"Yes; Lord Charles Russell's Shakespeare Medal. The exam. is next
October. I'll coach you. Is it a bargain?"

He held out his hand, staring frankly, but piercingly, into John's eyes.

"All right, sir," said John, after a pause. "I'll try."

"And buck up for your remove."

John smiled feebly, and sighed.

[1] There is a tablet on the wall of the Old Schools which bears the
following inscription:--Near this spot ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER Afterwards
the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, K.G. While yet a boy in Harrow School Saw
with shame and indignation The pauper's funeral Which hel