There was no fresh news when he got to the house: he saw David’s father and sister for a minute only, but was not allowed to go in to see him. After that he went into the boys’ part of the house, and found that Bags was waiting up also, by permission, in the double prefects’ study which he shared with David. Maddox knew it well: it was the one he had managed to procure for himself alone the year that David came to the school and fagged for him.
Bags was full of quiet politeness. He gave Maddox the sofa, and, since the rest of the house had gone to bed, suggested that he might smoke if he wished.
“Adams won’t mind,” he said. “It’s jolly of you to come and keep me company. You know——”
And then Bags could not speak any more at once.
“Thanks, I won’t smoke,” said Maddox. “You were with David at his private school too, weren’t you?”
“Yes, two years,” said Bags.
“And been pals ever since. Same as me. Both of us David’s friends, I mean.”
Bags forgot to be shy of this great Cambridge cricket-blue.
“You should have seen David,” he said, jerking out the words. “He went bang for that horse, like taking a header. I—I ought to have done it, you know. I got out of school-shop just in front of him and stood staring.”
“Oh, my God, why didn’t you?” said Maddox suddenly.