city a package of fireworks. But
instead of wasting money on sky-rockets or other expensive pieces, he
had concentrated almost wholly on blue and red lights, which he placed
among the trees and over the plateau and set off in batches, first one
colour and then the other. Because the place was so high up, apart from
the rest, and so heavily wooded, the effect was probably very pretty
from the water. Anyhow a burst of applause was heard from the
passing flotilla.

"That's for us," said Keith's father, "and not for those rich people
down by the shore."

As usual when very much pleased, he laughed while speaking so that it
was hard to hear what he said. But Keith heard, and a glow of pride
swelled his chest. It was the crowning climax of a scene that touched
the boy with a sense of joy bordering on pain. "Beautiful" was a word
used repeatedly by the grown-up people about him. He knew now that
beauty was something that turned ordinary life into a pleasure more
keen than could be had out of eating, or playing, or reading, or
getting presents at Christmas even. To this wonderful thing his father
had added a personal triumph in which the whole family participated. It
silenced incipient criticism for a long time.

Nevertheless there was another side to that self-satisfied remark of his
father, and it also stuck in his memory. Back of the proud words lay
envy and deference, and a suggestion of hopeless separation. In Keith's
mind it became tied up with his memories from Loth's party, and all of
it formed a complex of thought from which he tried his best to get
away--and most of the time successfully.

XIV

For lack of sufficient accommodations in the over-crowded old building,
one class had to use the assembly hall. To make the many disadvantages
more palatable, this location was presented as an honour reserved for
the class shepherded by the old Rector himself. Of this "honour" Keith
became a participant when the fall term opened.

There were no desks--only benches without backs. The rest of the school
left with a sense of relief after using them only during the fifteen
minutes of morning prayer. To sit on them hours at a stretch turned the
day into torture before it was half done. The only way of resting was to
bend far forward with humped back, and no sooner did the Rector
discover a boy in that position than he descended on the sinner:

"Straight in the back, boy! What do you think you are--an old hag
sorting rag