his friend since the list of the

"Slacker? What rot! He's as keen as anything.""Anyhow, his keenness isn't enough to make him turn out forhouse-fielding. If you really want to know, that's why you'vegot your first instead of him. You sweated away, and improvedyour fielding twenty per cent.; and I happened to be talking toFirby-Smith and found that young Mike had been shirking his, soout he went. A bad field's bad enough, but a slack field wantsskinning.""Smith oughtn't to have told you.""Well, he did tell me. So you see how it is. There won't be anychanges from the team I've put up on the board.""Oh, all right," said Bob. "I was afraid you mightn't be able to doanything. So long.""Mind the step," said Burgess. 　　* * * * *At about the time when this conversation was in progress, Wyatt,crossing the cricket-field towards the school shop in search ofsomething fizzy that might correct a burning thirst acquired at thenets, espied on the horizon a suit of cricket flannels surmounted by ahuge, expansive grin. As the distance between them lessened, hediscovered that inside the flannels was Neville-Smith's body andbehind the grin the rest of Neville-Smith's face. Their visit to thenets not having coincided in point of time, as the Greek exercisebooks say, Wyatt had not seen his friend since the list of the teamhad been posted on the board, so he proceeded to congratulate him onhis colours. 　　"Thanks," said Neville-Smith, with a brilliant display of front teeth. 　　"Feeling good?""Not the word for it. I feel like--I don't know what.""I'll tell you what you look like, if that's any good to you. Thatslight smile of yours will meet behind, if you don't look out, andthen the top of your head'll come off.""I don't care. I've got my first, whatever happens. Little Willie'sgoing to buy a nice new cap and a pretty striped jacket all for hisown self! I say, thanks for reminding me. Not that you did, butsupposing you had. At any rate, I remember what it was I wanted tosay to you. You know what I was saying to you about the bust I meantto have at home in honour of my getting my first, if I did, which Ihave--well, anyhow it's to-night. You can roll up, can't you?""Delighted. Anything for a free feed in these hard times. What timedid you say it was?""Eleven. Make it a bit earlier, if you like.""No, eleven'll do me all right.""How are you going to get out?""'Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.' That's whatthe man said who wrote the libretto for the last set of Latin Verseswe had to do. I shall manage it.""They ought to allow you a latch-key.""Yes, I've often thought of asking my pater for one. Still, I get onvery well. Who are coming besides me?""No boarders. They all funked it.""The race is degenerating.""Said it wasn't good enough.""The school is going to the dogs. Who did you ask?""Clowes was one. Said he didn't want to miss his beauty-sleep. AndHenfrey backed out because he thought the risk of being sacked wasn'tgood enough.""That's an aspect of the thing that might occur to some people. Idon't blame him--I might feel like that myself if I'd got anothercouple of years at school.""But one or two day-boys are coming. Clephane is, for one. AndBeverley. We shall have rather a rag. I'm going to get the thingsnow.""When I get to your place--I don't believe I know the way, now I cometo think of it--what do I do? Ring the bell and send in my card? orsmash the nearest window and climb in?""Don't make too much row, for goodness sake. All the servants'll havegone to bed. You'll see the window of my room. It's just above theporch. It'll be the only one lighted up. Heave a pebble at it, andI'll come down.""So will the glass--with a run, I expect. Still, I'll try to do aslittle damage as possible. After all, I needn't throw a brick.""You _will_ turn up, won't you?""Nothing shall stop me.""Good man."As Wyatt was turning away, a sudden compunction seized uponNeville-Smith. He called him back.