t nothing but a pass," the Rector said,
bending his brows. The learned society shrank, as if a sentence of death
had been pronounced.

"Oh no, not so bad as that!" they cried, with one voice.

"What do you call so bad as that? Is not a third worse than that? Is not
a second quite as bad?" said the majestic presiding voice. "In the gulf
there are no names mentioned. We are not credited with a mistake. It will
be better, if he does not stick to his books, that he should drop."

Young Warrender's special tutor made frantic efforts to arrest this
doom. He pointed out to the young man the evil of his ways. "In one
sense all my sympathies are with you," he said; "but, my dear fellow,
if you don't read your books you may be as learned as ----, and as
clear-sighted as ----" (the historian, being unlearned, does not know
what names were here inserted), "but you will never get to the head of
the lists, where we have hoped to see you."

"What does it matter?" said Warrender, in boyish splendour. "The lists
are merely symbols. You know one's capabilities without that; and as for
the opinion of the common mass, of what consequence is it to me?"

A cold perspiration came out on the tutor's brow. "It is of great
consequence to--the college," he said. "My dear fellow, so long as we
are merely mortal we can't despise symbols; and the Rector has set his
heart on having so many first classes. He doesn't like to be disappointed.
Come, after it's all over you will have plenty of time to read as you
like."

"But why shouldn't I read as I like now?" said Warrender. He was very
self-willed. He was apt to start off at a tangent if anybody interfered
with him,--a youth full of fads and ways of his own, scorning the common
path, caring nothing for results. And by what except by results is a
college to be known and assert itself? The tutor whose hopes had been
so high was in a state of depression for some time after. He even made
an appeal to the school tutor, the enthusiast who had sent up this
troublesome original with so many fine prognostications: who replied
to the appeal, and descended one day upon the youth in his room, quite
unexpectedly.

"Well, Theo, my fine fellow, how are you getting on? I hope you are
keeping your eyes on the examination, and not neglecting your books."

"I am delighted to see you, sir," said the lad. "I was just thinking I
should like to consult you upon"--and here he entered into a fine question
of scholars