They argued it out for a quarter of an hour and then, just when the last point had been brought forward, and Roland had begun to feel that he was left with no possible excuse for not going down to the field, the tea arrived; and after that what chance did he stand? By the time tea was over it was nearly five o’clock. Choir practice would have started in a quarter of an hour: if he wanted to, he could not have gone down then. A bad business. But it had been a pleasant afternoon; it was raining like blazes still; very likely the ground would be again too wet for play to-morrow, and he would cut the walk and get his boots mended. No doubt things would pan out all right.
Things, however, did not on this occasion adapt themselves to Roland’s wishes. The rain stopped shortly after eight o’clock; a violent wind shrieked all night along the cloisters; next morning the violent wind was accompanied by bright sunshine; by half-past two the ground was almost dry. Roland played in his unstudded boots, and, as he had expected, the projecting hundredth of an inch sank deeply into his toe. Three days later he was sent up to the sanatorium with a poisoned foot.
And in the sanatorium he found himself in the same ward and alone with Howard, who was recovering from an attack of “flu” that had been incorrectly diagnosed as measles.
It was the first time they had met since the first evening of the term.
CHAPTER II
THE OUTCOME
WHEN two people are left alone together all day, with no amusement except their own conversation, they naturally become intimate, and as the episode of the dance was the only bond of interest between Howard and Roland, they turned to it at once. As soon as the matron had gone out of the room Howard asked if he had been forgiven.
“Oh, yes, a long time ago; it was a jolly rag.”
“Seen anything of your girl since then?”
“Heavens! no. Have you?”
“I should jolly well think so; one doesn’t let a thing like that slip through one’s fingers in a hurry. I go out with her every Sunday, and as likely as not once or twice during the week.”