e quite an attractive individual, and
neither law nor custom forbade the acquisition of a second menial. So
Martin became, to his own great satisfaction, the junior study-slut of
Leopard.

Pearson, his senior in that office, naturally attempted to make him do
all the work of tidying, but Leopard put an end to that, and it was
soon understood that Martin's function was the composition of correct
Greek prose. This he fulfilled efficiently and Leopard, who had
recently been harried by his instructor in Greek in a way quite
revolting to his dignity and self-respect, found life at once more easy
and more honourable. He became very intimate with Martin and would
talk to him at great length in a patronising but amusing way: he would
even allow Martin to rag him and call him by his nickname, Spots.

Inevitably Martin worshipped Spots. The study became to him a temple,
a very awful and a sacred place. On its walls were scores of
photographs, signed pictures of school bloods past and present,
photographs of elevens, photographs of fifteens, photographs of the
Racket Pair, and photographs of a girl, who was usually on horseback.
These last were carefully framed and signed in round, sprawling
letters, 'Kiddie.' Martin, as he gazed upon them, began to form
conceptions of the perfect life. There was a bookcase, too, with a
fine collection of shilling novels whose paper covers bore lurid
pictures of Life and Love. In spite of a certain monotony of theme and
a devastating dullness in its elaboration, Spots seemed to derive
considerable pleasure from those works, which he always read while
Martin was doing his Greek prose. Martin was kept too busy to do much
reading, but he appreciated the pictures on the covers and was
impressed by the dark-eyed women in red who accepted on divans the
passionate kisses of blond young men in faultless evening dress. The
room also contained some old swords (bought from a predecessor), a
number of rackets, a bag of golf-clubs, and a fine array of cushions
with humorous designs. The culinary outfit and china were complete to
the verge of opulence. The Leopard's Den, as the study was commonly
called, had achieved a certain reputation for magnificence, a
reputation in which Martin gloried. He even enjoyed the dusting and
cleaning and despised Pearson for his laziness and lack of proper
pride. But it was not mere priggishness that animated him.

Meanwhile Mrs Berney had not forgotten his poss