A burst of laughter from all quarters of the room attested the merriment of the company at learning the remark which had excited this visible commotion. The old gentleman alone did not seem amused; he turned away, muttering something which sounded like ‘Why did not he tell me that before?’ But the laughter, and the incident which gave rise to it, diverted the thoughts of all who were present from Gerald’s adventure; it was not referred to any more. In this way is reputation won, and in this way too, perhaps, it is lost. CHAPTER VII ‘DE PROFUNDIS’ Gerald Eversley’s first act upon returning to school was to inquire after the health of Lady Venniker. He learnt from Harry that she had not suffered permanent injury from the fright experienced at seeing the girl run under the horses’ feet, and that her recovery had been accelerated when she knew that the girl was getting well of her fractured leg and would soon be able to walk about again. ‘It was lucky, old man,’ said Harry, ‘that you were in the carriage with her; I don’t know what would have happened if she had been alone.’ It was the Michaelmas term of 186--, three years since the two boys had come to St. Anselm’s. There was good hope that, before the term came to an end, Mr. Brandiston’s house would be the cock house at football. By a strange chance the house was drawn in the first round of the matches against one of the two houses which were expected to be its most dangerous rivals; in fact, the prevailing opinion of the school was that if the house was successful in its first match it would be successful in all. The match was played on a fine afternoon at the end of October. A stiff wind was blowing down the ground. Sometimes, when the two sides in a football match are very evenly balanced, the winning of the toss is decisive of the issue, for it gives one side the right of beginning play with the wind at its back, and as the goals are gained alternately by the two sides, the side which is playing with the wind having always the advantage, the side which obtains the first goal wins the match. The side opposed to Mr. Brandiston’s won the toss. The match was hotly contested from the ‘kick-off’ to the finish. Every one who has been a spectator at a house football match in a public school knows the volleys of cheering which attend the efforts of the two sides, and the torrents of rebuke, invective, exhortation, applause, poured out at critical moments of the game upon the players. Nowhere perhaps in human life is so much irresponsible advice given as at such a time, and nowhere is it so futile. Great indeed was the excitement on this day. It was a point of honour with all the members of the two contending houses to be present at the match, and to make their presence known by loud vociferation. According to custom, the boys of Mr. Brandiston’s house stood on one side of the match-ground, and the boys of the rival house on the other side, their feelings being