avilion after a slow but eminently safe game, it
mattered not whether he had made nothing or, as once happened, a hundred
and three, the school shouted just the same, and women-folk who had come
to look at the match looked at Cottar--Cottar, major; "that's Cottar!"
Above all, he was responsible for that thing called the tone of the
school, and few realise with what passionate devotion a certain type of
boy throws himself into this work. Home was a faraway country, full of
ponies and fishing and shooting, and men-visitors who interfered with
one's plans; but school was the real world, where things of vital
importance happened, and crises arose that must be dealt with promptly
and quietly. Not for nothing was it written, "Let the Consuls look to
it that the Republic takes no harm," and Georgie was glad to be back in
authority when the holidays ended. Behind him, but not too near, was the
wise and temperate Head, now suggesting the wisdom of the serpent, now
counselling the mildness of the dove; leading him on to see, more by
half-hints than by any direct word, how boys and men are all of a piece,
and how he who can handle the one will assuredly in time control the
other.

For the rest, the school was not encouraged to dwell on its emotions,
but rather to keep in hard condition, to avoid false quantities, and to
enter the army direct, without the help of the expensive London crammer,
under whose roof young blood learns too much. Cottar, major, went the
way of hundreds before him. The Head gave him six months' final polish,
taught him what kind of answers best please a certain kind of examiners,
and handed him over to the properly constituted authorities, who passed
him into Sandhurst. Here he had sense enough to see that he was in the
Lower Third once more, and behaved with respect toward his seniors, till
they in turn respected him, and he was promoted to the rank of corporal,
and sat in authority over mixed peoples with all the vices of men
and boys combined. His reward was another string of athletic cups,
a good-conduct sword, and, at last, Her Majesty's commission as a
subaltern in a first-class line regiment. He did not know that he bore
with him from school and college a character worth much fine gold, but
was pleased to find his mess so kindly. He had plenty of money of his
own; his training had set the public school mask upon his face, and had
taught him how many were the "things no fellow can do." By virtue of the