"It's a disappointment," said Roland.
"For all of us."
"I suppose so."
And after another pause: "What's going to happen to me at the end of the term?"
"That's what I've got to decide. I suggested a bank, but your mother was very much against it."
"Oh, not the bank, father!"
"Well, I'll do my best for you, but it'll be difficult. Oxford's out of the question. You can see that, can't you? I should have to send you to a crammer, and everyone would talk. It would be sure to leak out. And we don't want anything like that to happen, because they would be sure to think it was something worse than it really was. I'm afraid Oxford's got to go. Your mother agreed with me about that."
"I'm sure you're right, father."
"But I don't know what else there is, Roland. I shall have to ask the headmaster."