“That’s right,” said Venner cheerfully. “Then you’ll be married all the sooner, or perhaps you’re not a marrying man.”
“Haven’t found the right girl yet, Venner,” said Wedderburn.
“Oh, there’s plenty of time,” chuckled Venner. “You don’t want to be thinking about girls up here. Some of our men go getting engaged before they’ve gone down, and it always messes them up in the Schools.”
Maurice Avery came in while Venner was speaking. He seemed restless and worried, and as Venner went on his restlessness increased.
“But very few of our men have got into trouble here with girls. We had one man once who married a widow. He was dreadfully chaffed about it, and couldn’t stand it any longer. The men never let him alone.”
“Married a widow, while he was still up?” people asked incredulously.
“Why, yes,” said Venner. “And actually brought her down for Eights and introduced her to the Warden on the barge. She was a most severe-looking woman, and old enough to be his mother. There was some trouble once at 202 High—that’s where you are, isn’t it?” He turned to Lonsdale. “But there won’t be any more trouble because Macpherson vowed he wouldn’t have a servant-girl in the house again.”
“I suppose that’s why we have that perspiring boy,” grumbled Wedderburn. “But what happened, Venner?”
“Well, the usual thing, of course. There were five of our men living there that year, and she picked out the quietest one of the lot and said it was him. He had to pay fifty pounds, and when he’d paid it all, the other four came up to him one by one and offered to pay half.”
Everybody laughed, and Maurice suddenly announced that he was in a devil of a fix with a girl.