uppose
every one else was sleepy, for I could hear Clarkson calling his boy a
lazy young vagabond, and that always happened when through other
people's laziness the unfortunate boy could not get on with his work.

"Who is up?" Clarkson shouted.

"Nobody," the boy answered.

"Then fetch Mr. Thornton's breakfast," for Thornton had moved into
rooms next to mine at the beginning of the term.

"Mr. Thornton's in bed."

Clarkson stamped heavily. "What the deuce does he mean by being in
bed? Go and fetch his breakfast, and don't answer me when I give you
orders."

The boy hurried down the stairs, and I thought Thornton had acted very
unwisely in changing his rooms, for if Clarkson got hold of a man of
whom he could take charge he was quite certain not to miss his chance.
I knew one or two men who lived in greater fear of him than of any don,
and I determined to advise Thornton not to be bullied. My efforts,
however, were quite useless, for Thornton assured me that he liked our
scout and got a great deal of amusement from him.

"Clarkson knows exactly what is best for himself and me, and he is
always clean," he said.

"He treats his boy abominably," I replied.

"I wonder what you would be like if you were a scout," he said, and as
he obviously thought that I should only be remarkable for my failings,
I gave up trying to talk to him.

Thornton was a great puzzle to me, for his one desire was to be left to
himself, and apart from speaking at debates and belonging to various
literary societies he never seemed to me to do anything. Murray always
lost his temper with me when I said that Thornton was extraordinarily
odd, and declared that he was one of the cleverest men in the college
and would probably be governing some colony when we had sunk out of
sight.

In some moods Murray was not a cheerful companion, and I could not help
telling him that to be bullied by your scout is not a good preparation
for governing anything. And as a matter of fact Thornton became
gradually so very eccentric, that even Murray had to admit that if he
was a genius he was one who had lost his way.

After our eight had been successful Jack Ward was very anxious that
they should go to Henley, but both the Bursar, who had done more to
improve our rowing than anybody, and The Bradder wanted them to wait
for another year.

"We shall have nearly the same eight next summer, and two or three good
freshers are coming up," The Bradder argued.