"I hadn't thought of it," said Mr. Binney doubtfully. "I rather thought of devoting myself to rowing."
"Capital thing," said Dizzy. "I knew a fellow who——"
Dizzy's anecdote was so little to the point that it may be omitted. In later life he would probably become one of those old men who interrupt conversation with the dread opening, "I recollect upon one occasion," and sail off into interminable pointless reminiscence. But, at present, his absolute lack of self-consciousness and his flow of youthful good spirits made him very agreeable company, and when he left Lucius's rooms half-an-hour later, he had completely captivated Mr. Binney with his artless prattle.
"That's a very nice young fellow," said Mr. Binney, when the door had closed on Dizzy's back. "If all your friends at Trinity are like that, Lucius——"
"Stubbs isn't at Trinity," said Lucius, "he's at the Hall."
"Really!" said Mr. Binney, much surprised, "I thought that Trinity men never associated on equal terms with men of other colleges."
"That's one of Minshull's ridiculous ideas, I suppose," said Lucius. "It doesn't matter what college a fellow is at if he's a good chap, and there are plenty of good chaps in Cambridge outside Trinity, especially at the Hall."
"But I should have expected a little more—what shall I say?—deference, in a man from another college."
"Well, then, I'm afraid it's one of those expectations in which you'll be disappointed if you're really coming up here. Trinity's the best college in Cambridge—or Oxford either for that matter—but it isn't the only one, and nobody thinks it is unless it's fellows like Minshull, who are always running it down, although they would have given their ears to belong to it themselves."
"I don't like the tone you take up about Minshull, Lucius," said Mr. Binney. "Minshull's a very good fellow, although he hasn't had the advantages that you and I have. I owe him a great deal, and I shan't forget it. Now I must go and look over the subjects for to-morrow's papers."