Bert wasn’t very good company that week. In the evenings he made a great pretence of studying, but Hugh’s stolen glances showed that his friend’s thoughts were far from his books. At times Bert was as gay as you please, but the gayety didn’t last long and while it did last struck Hugh as being decidedly forced. For the most part Bert was silent and morose. There were no more bickerings, but it was more to Hugh’s credit than Bert’s, for the latter on more than one occasion showed himself ready to quarrel on any provocation. As a result Hugh was less at home than usual. He spent much time with Pop Driver and Roy Dresser, over in Trow, and often dropped down the corridor to hobnob with Cathcart before bedtime. There was one good thing about the proctor and that was that you could always depend on finding him in his room except when he had a recitation. Now and then Hugh visited Nick, but Nick, unlike Cathcart, was almost never in. A couple of evenings Hugh went over to Lit for awhile, but he had a feeling that it was better taste to remain away from the society’s room until he was a full-fledged member. He very much wished that Bert would confide in him, so that whatever the trouble was they might talk it over like sensible beings. Somehow, he didn’t believe that gridiron difficulties quite explained his friend’s condition of mind. Instead, he shrewdly suspected that Bert’s poor performances in practice of late were the result of some secret worry and not the cause of it. All that Hugh could be certain of was that studies had nothing to do with it, for, while Bert was not a particularly studious fellow, he nevertheless managed to maintain an average standing and was seldom in trouble with the office. Bert went back to left half on Wednesday and stayed there until the Rotan game. But even Hugh could see that he was having a hard time of it to keep Siedhof out, and there were times when no one could have criticized Coach Bonner had he pulled Bert back to the bench. Nick confided to Hugh one day that Bert was frightfully off his game, adding regretfully, “It’s got so I think twice before I give him the ball. And Bonner’s getting on to me, too. Bert’s got to brace up Saturday or Billy Siedhof will have his place. I’d like to know what the dickens is wrong with him! The best thing for him would be to get Davy to lay him off for three or four days. I suggested it to him yesterday and he nearly bit my head off. Ted’s got his eye on him, too, and Ted’s so set on winning this year that he’d fire his grandmother if she didn’t play well! Look here, ’Ighness, why don’t you sort of drop a hint to Bert, eh? I’ve tried it and only escaped death by instant flight.” “So you want me to die, eh? I’d do it, only――well, Bert gets mad so easily now that it wouldn’t be much good.”