of his which always dries me up? 'Harry,' said he, 'when you're a
little older and a good deal wiser, you'll be able to answer that
question yourself.'"

John's face brightened. A glimmering of the truth shone out of the
darkness. He tried to advance nearer to it, gropingly.

"I dare say----"

"Well, go on!"

"Your governor may feel that we want a fellow like you."

John was blushing because he remembered what the Head of the House had
said about the Verneys. Desmond glanced at him keenly. He detested
flattery laid on too thick. But this was a genuine tribute. For the
first time he smiled.

"Thank you, Verney," he said, more genially. "What you say is utter rot;
but it was decent of you to say it, and I'm glad that you and I are
going to be in the same house."

For his life John could not help adding, "And Scaife, you forget
Scaife?" Jealousy pierced him as Scaife's name slipped out.

"Yes, there's the Demon. I always liked him."

"And he likes you."

"Does he? Good old Demon! I like to be liked. That's the Irish in me.
I'm half Irish, you know. I want fellows to be friendly to me. I'd
forgotten Scaife. That's rum too, because he's not the sort one forgets,
is he? No, I wonder if I could get into the Demon's room next term?"

"I'm in his room. It's a three-room."

"A two-room is much jollier."

"Our room is not bad."

Caesar was hardly listening. John caught a murmur: "The old Demon and I
would get along capitally."

FOOTNOTES:

[4] The racquet Professional.

[5] The cap of honour worn by the House Football Eleven.

[6] The Goose Match, the last cricket-match of the year, played between
the Eleven and Old Boys, on the nearest half-holiday to Michaelmas Day.

[7] A fashionable "tuck"-shop.

[8] H.R.H. Prince Thomas of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, was elected King by
the Cortes of Spain, October 3, 1869, while he was a boy at Harrow. The
crown was finally declined January 1, 1870. The Prince was nick-named
"King Tom."

[9] To "turf," _i.e._ to kick.

[10] Calling over.

[11] John Lyon founded Harrow School, 1571.

[12] Boys who have not been more than two years in the school are
eligible as "Torpids;" out of each house a Torpid football Eleven is
chosen.

CHAPTER III

_Kraipale_[13]

"Life is mostly froth and bubble;
Two things stand like stone--
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own."

Some five years afterwards John Verney learned what had pass