, of these would-be soldiers, of James
[224] Stokes, and therefore of Emerald Uthwart, through the long
summer-time, till the Green Court is fragrant with lime-blossom, and
speech-day comes, on which, after their flower-service and sermon from
an old comrade, Emerald surprises masters and companions by the fine
quality of a recitation; still more when "Scholar Stokes" and he are
found bracketed together as "Victors" of the school, who will proceed
together to Oxford. His speech in the Chapter-house was from that
place in Homer, where the soul of the lad Elpenor, killed by accident,
entreats Ulysses for due burial rites. "Fix my oar over my grave," he
says, "the oar I rowed with when I lived, when I went with my
companions." And in effect what surprised, charmed the hearers was the
scruple with which those naturally graceful lips dealt with every word,
every syllable, put upon them. He seemed to be thinking only of his
author, except for just so much of self-consciousness as was involved
in the fact that he seemed also to be speaking a little against his
will; like a monk, it might be said, who sings in choir with a really
fine voice, but at the bidding of his superior, and counting the notes
all the while till his task be done, because his whole nature revolts
from so much as the bare opportunity for personal display. It was his
duty to speak on the occasion. They had always been great in
speech-making, in theatricals, from before [225] the days when the
Puritans destroyed the Dean's "Great Hall" because "the King's Scholars
had profaned it by acting plays there"; and that peculiar note or
accent, as being conspicuously free from the egotism which vulgarises
most of us, seemed to befit the person of Emerald, impressing weary
listeners pleasantly as a novelty in that kind. Singular!--The words,
because seemingly forced from him, had been worth hearing. The cheers,
the "Kentish Fire," of their companions might have broken down the
crumbling black arches of the old cloister, or roused the dead under
foot, as the "Victors" came out of the Chapter-house side by side; side
by side also out of that delightful period of their life at school, to
proceed in due course to the University.

They left it precipitately, after brief residence there, taking
advantage of a sudden outbreak of war to join the army at once,
regretted--James Stokes for his high academic promise, Uthwart for a
quality, or group of qualities, not stric