College stories; College students -- Fiction; Fathers and sons -- Fiction; Trinity College (University of Cambridge) -- Fiction
"Oh, indeed," said Mr. Binney, with a dangerous gleam in his eye. "You
are such a swell I suppose, that nobody else can expect to come near
you."
"You wouldn't even belong to the same boat-club," said Lucius. "You
ought to know that by this time. Third Trinity is only for Eton and
Westminster men, the rest of the college belongs to First Trinity."
"I did know it," said Mr. Binney, "but I had forgotten it for the
moment. You needn't take me up so sharp, Lucius. Is First Trinity a
good boat club?"
"Of course it is," said Lucius.
"Very well, then, I shall join it, and take up rowing seriously. Have
you spoken at the Union yet?"
"No, I don't belong to it. I shouldn't speak if I did, and it's no
good belonging to that and the 'Pitt' too."
"The 'Pitt'! What's the 'Pitt'?"
"It's a club."
"Is it the thing to belong to it?"
"Oh, I don't know. A lot of people do."
"Ah, well, I must belong to that too."
"You have to be elected to it. People sometimes get pilled."
"Well, I should hope there wouldn't be much chance of _my_ getting
pilled, whatever that may mean. I belong to the National Liberal Club.
That ought to be enough for them, oughtn't it?"
"Quite enough for them, I should think," answered Lucius, who had once
dined at that famous institution with Peter, and been offensively
patronised by one of Mr. Binney's fellow-members, a man old enough to
be his father.
"I shall join the Union," continued Mr. Binney. "I expect most of my
triumphs will lie there. I am accustomed to addressing large
assemblies. I was nearly elected to the London County Council two
years ago, as you know. That's where I score, you see, being a man of
the world among a lot of boys. I've learnt to do things that they are
only just beginning to think about."
"Yes. You've made your pile among other things," replied Lucius.
"Most of us haven't learnt to do that yet. We generally begin at the
other end and spend it first."
"I shan't grudge spending some of it," said Mr. Binney. "I hope to
entertain the young fellows a good deal. Minshull says if you give a
few good breakfasts every term--do the thing well, you know, with
perhaps some fruit and a bottle of claret to come after--you get a
tremendous reputation for hospitality throughout the 'Varsity. Is that
so?"
"Well, I'm not sure I ever met anybody who drank claret at breakfast.
I did know a fellow who used to drink brandy. He certainly did get a
tremendous reputation throughout the 'Varsity, but it wasn't for
hospitality. He wasn't up there long."
"H'm. Well, Minshull said he knew a man who went up a bit late, who
had more money to spend than most people, who got into the first set at
Peterhouse through his breakfasts."
"Did he? Lucky fellow! Well, I should give a few breakfasts if I were
you, father. We shall all think you a tremendous chap."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account