"Well, if here isn't Dink in the flesh. How are you? Thought you'd eloped somewhere. Glad to see you; tarnation if I'm not glad to shake your hand."
Hungerford, Bain, Bob Story, and Stone were present; a little difference in their several greetings.
"Well, we're holding a sort of wake here," said the Judge cheerily. "Bain seems the most afflicted."
"It's a hard moment," said Stover calmly, knowing that any expression of opinion from him would be resisted in certain quarters. "I felt quite upset myself to-day when I heard the news, despite the stand I've taken."
Hunter looked up and then down, but said nothing.
"It's for the best," said Hungerford, not wishing him to stand alone. "Best for the college as a whole."
"That remains to be seen," said Bain. "I passed Gimbel coming over, and his crowd. It wasn't very pleasant."
"Well, it's over," said Dink in a matter-of-fact tone. "No post-mortem! The great thing now is to recognize what exists. The class to-day is shot to pieces. We want to get together again. One half our time's up, and, wherever the fault, we've done nothing but scrap and get apart."
"I've been telling them a little about your scheme, yours and Brockhurst's," said Story.
Stover launched into an enthusiastic argument in its support. Bain and Hunter followed, instinctive in their opposition, each perceiving all the superiority that would derive to Stover from its success.