“Poor planet!” said Jeannie. “How the people in Mars must look down on us.”
“And rightly,” sighed Miss Fortescue. “How many Philistines one sees.”
“I’m one,” said Arthur, cheerfully. “Philistia, be thou glad of me!”
Miss Fortescue shook her head.
“Tell me any one you know who is not a Philistine,” said Jack.
Miss Fortescue raised her eyes to the ceiling, but Jack did not understand the signal.
“Can’t you think of one?” he repeated.
“When Aunt Em raises her eyes,” said Jeannie, “we talk of something else. Don’t apologize, Mr. Collingwood; you couldn’t have known.”
“A little more hare, Arthur,” said Aunt Em; “about as much as you gave me before.”
Frank Bennett, Jack, and Arthur had all been up at Magdalen together, and when the two were left in the smoking-room together Arthur, who only knew vaguely the story, asked Jack about it.