The Doctor had honored him with his confidence, consulted him on several intimate matters of school discipline--in fact, most undoubtedly had rather leaned upon him. As he looked back upon the last year at Lawrenceville, he could not help feeling a certain wholesome, pleasant satisfaction. He had held up an honest standard, he had played hard but square, disdained petty offenses, seen to the rigorous bringing up of the younger boys, and, as men of property must lend their support to the church, he had even publicly advised a moderate attention to the long classic route which leads to college. He had been the big man in the big school; what new opportunity lay before him? In the seat ahead two of his class were exchanging delighted conjectures, and their conversation, coming to his ears clearly through the entangled murmur of the car, began to interest him. "I say, Schley, you were Hotchkiss, weren't you?" "Eight mortal years." "Got a good crowd?" "No wonder-workers, but a couple of good men for the line. What's your Andover crowd like?" "We had a daisy bunch, but some of the pearls have been side-tracked to Princeton and Harvard." "Bought up, eh?" "Sure," said the speaker, with the profoundest conviction. "Big chance, McNab, for the eleven this year," said Schley, in a thin, anemic, authoritative sort of way. "Play football yourself?" "Sure--if any one will kick me," said McNab, who in fact had a sort of roly-poly resemblance to the necessary pigskin. "Lord, I'm no strength-breaker. I'm a funny man, side-splitting joker, regular cut-up--didos and all that sort of thing. What are you out for?" "A good time first, last, and always." "Am I? Just ask me!" said McNab explosively; and in a justly aggrieved tone he added: "Lord, haven't I slaved like a mule ten years to get there! I don't know how long it'll last, but while it does it will be a lulu!" "My old dad gave me a moral lecture." "Sure. Opportunity--character--beauty of the classics--hope to be proud of my son--you're a man now--" "That's it." "Sure thing. Lord, we'll be doing the same twenty-five years from now," said McNab, who thus logically and to his own satisfaction disposed of this fallacy. He added generously, however, with a wave of his hand: "A father ought to talk that way--the right thing--wouldn't care a flip of a mule's tail for my dad if he didn't. And say, by gravy, he sort of got me, too--damned impressive!" "Really?" "Honor bright." A flicker of reminiscent convictions passed over McNab's frolicking face. "Yes, and I made a lot of resolutions, too--good resolutions." "Come off!" "Well, that was day before yesterday."