"What a dreadfully disconcerting person," said Bob Story. "By George, it takes the conceit out of you," said Stover ruthfully. "Shall we all start in and learn something? What's the answer?" At this moment a familiar slogan was heard below, increasing in riotous, pagan violence with the approach of boisterous feet. "_Oh, father and mother_ _Pay all the bills,_ _And we have all the fun._ _Hooray!_ _That's the way we do in college life--_ _In college life._" The room burst into a roar of laughter. "There's one answer," said Regan rising. The door slammed open, and McNab and Buck Waters reeled in arm in arm. "I say, fellows, we've cornered the sleigh market," said Dopey uproariously. "We're all going to beat it to the Cheshire Inn, a bottle of champagne to the first to arrive. Are you on?" Half an hour later, Stover at the reins was whirling madly along the crusty roads, in imminent danger of collision with three other rollicking parties, who packed the sleighs and cheered on the galloping horses, singing joyfully the battle hymn of the pagans: "_Oh, father and mother_ _Pay all the bills,_ _And we have all the fun._ _Hooray!_ _That's the way we do_ _In college life._" CHAPTER XXIV Once Stover had reconciled himself to the loss of a senior society election, he found ample compensation in the absolute liberty of action that came to him. It was not that he condemned this parent system; he believed in it as an honest attempt to reward the best in the college life, a sort of academic legion of honor, formed not on social cleavage, but given as a reward of merit. In his own case, he believed his own personal offending in the matter of Le Baron and Reynolds had been so extreme that nothing could counteract it. So he gave himself up to the free and untrammelled delights of living his own life. His fierce stand for absolute democracy made of his rooms the ante-room of the class, through which all crowds seemed to pass, men of his own kind, socially calculating, glad to be known as the friends of Regan, Hungerford and Story, all rated sure men, and Stover, about whom they began to wonder more and more, as a unique and rebellious personality, which, contrary to precedent, had come to bear down all opposition. Gimbel and Hicks, elected managers for the coming year, came often, willing to conciliate the element they had fought, in the hopes of a favorable outcome on Tap Day. Men who worked their way dropped in often on Regan; Ricketts, with his drawling Yankee astuteness, always laughing up his sleeve; twenty odd, lonely characters, glad to sink into a quiet corner and listen to the furious discussions that raged about Brockhurst, Story and Regan.