A Prefect's Uncle

o do anything except what they are not allowed to do. Otherwise there is no explaining the friendship that arose between them. Jack Monk was not an attractive individual. He had a slack mouth and a

ers a warm heart. With Monk, however, appearances we

ceship began. Monk was coming downstairs from his study

at's the chap I was telling you a

Farnie, rightly concluding that the remark was addressed to him, turned

at his first school, and in the grip of that strange, lost feeling which attacks the best of new boys for a day or so after their arrival; and Farnie,

ney, he gave Farnie, who was still standing at the door, his cue to offer to supply the deficiency. Most new boys--they had grasped this fact from experience--would have felt it an honour to oblige a senior with a small loan. As Farnie made no signs of doing what was expected of him, Monk was obliged to resort to the somewhat cruder course of applying for the loan in person. He applied. Farnie with the utmost willingness brought to light a handful of m

essly, 'you might let me have a bob or two if you don't

enquired Farnie, looking

have it back by then at the

uld a q

aid Danvers

e,' assen

onk, because I saw you haul one out at breakfast. And Danvers has got one too, because he offered to toss you for it in the

om the noise which ensued immediately upon his arrival, the shrewd listener would have de

rs proceeded u

t there, old chap,'

Danvers. 'How about you, then? It se

compr

aid, 'we shan't get

mplainingly. And they went on i

Monk this morning,' said Marriott, later on in the day, to Gethryn

ter the little brute. He only does it out of sheer cussedness, because

cked man, surname unknown,' said Marriott

isn't

e sticks on on the strength of being fairly good at games. I wonde

ter in the place. I say, I think I shall give young Farnie the ti

' said Marriott,

and went up the river together. Gethryn and Marriott, steered by Wilson, who was rapidly developing into a useful coxswain, got an excellent view of them moored under the shade of a willow, drinking ginger-beer, and apparently on

iott, 'I don't

an ordinary junior. He played cricket moderately well, did his share of compulsory fielding at the

olly of his ways. But Nature had endowed that youth with a fund of vitriolic repartee. When Millett, one of Leicester's juniors, evolved some laborious sarcasm on the subject of Farnie's swell friends,

ing a bicycle from Smith of Markham's, he found himself with eight pounds to his name in solid cash, and the means of getting far enough a

r non-appearance at a half-holiday game was a fine of sixpence. Constant absence was likely in time to lead to a more or less thrilling interview with the captain of cricket, but a very occasional attendance was enough to stave off this disaster; and

e a pongster. But for billiards he had a decided taste, a genuine taste, not the pumped-up affectation sometimes displayed by boys of his age. Considering his age he was a remarkable player. Later on in life it appeared likely that he would have the choice of three professions open to him, namely, professional billiard player, billiard marker, and billiard sharp. At each of the three he showed distinct promise. He was not 'lured to the green cloth' by Monk or Danvers. Indeed, if there had been any luring to be done, it is probable that he would have done it, and not they. Neither Monk nor Danvers was in his confidence in the m

to aim, he struck his ball. The cue slid off in one direction, the ball rolled sluggishly in another. And when the cue had finish

beginning of the game with advice and criticism, should have done exactly what he had cautioned him, the farmer, against a moment before, struck

opinion that Farnie had

'Look 'ere. This'll mean a noo cloth, young feller me lad. That's wot this

his sole remai

said. 'I'll leave m

gether, with meaning, 'I know yer name and I knows yer address. Today fortnight at the very latest, if _you_ please. You don't want m

he pound on the second morning of the term. Then there flashed across his mind certain reasons against this move. At present Farnie's attitude towards him was unpleasantly independent. He made him understand that he went about with him from choice, and that there was to be nothing of the patron and dependant about their alliance. If he were to lend him the two pound

s between friends. If you'll pay me back four quid at the end of

strict business, there were the makings of no ordinary financier in him. But to get his

sion, but flogging. And Farnie resembled the lady in _The Ingoldsby Legends_ who 'didn't mind death, but wh

t,' he said. And the