And so for the first two or three days of his residence he felt pestered and irritable. There were so many things to find out, such as when and where to be gowned, who were freshers and who were unapproachable seniors, what attitude to adopt to one's scout and one's tutor. It was all very perplexing, and although Martin did not suffer the acute agony of apprehension that had made terrible his first few days at Elfrey, he remained, in spite of all the hints given him by his cousin Robert, ashamed of his ignorance and fearful of mistakes.
Soon he was sent for by his future tutor, Mr Reginald Petworth. Martin found him surrounded by undergraduates who called him Reggie and conversed with unconvincing heartiness. He knew that he hadn't ever to say "sir" to a don, but he was not prepared for Christian names. However, that would only begin after a considerable acquaintance. The crowd began to melt away and he was soon the only man left.
"Well," said Petworth cheerily. "Let me see, you're——"
"Leigh."
"Oh yes, of course. You wrote some very jolly hexameters for us in the scholarship exam."
Martin was deeply astonished. Two howlers! "Why, I thought that paper would have done for me," he said.
"Oh, you howled once or twice. But you were jolly, very jolly."
Martin was silent and Petworth produced cigarettes.
"Um, yes. Have a good vac?"
"Splendid, thanks. I was in Devonshire most of the time. Dartmoor way."