“What does he want to chat about, I wonder?” said Stafford.
“The weather, of course!” growled Barnworth; “what else is there?”
Stafford coloured up as usual when anyone laughed at him.
“He wants to get us to take the oath of allegiance, you fellows,” said Felgate. “‘Will you walk into my parlour? said the spider to the fly,’ that’s what he means. I think we’d better not go.”
Ainger laughed rather spitefully.
“It strikes me he’ll find us four fairly tough flies. I mean to go. I want to see what he’s like; I’m not at all sure that I like him.”
“Poor beggar!” murmured Barnworth. “Now my doubt is whether he likes me. He ought to, oughtn’t he, Staff?”
“Why, yes!” replied that amiable youth; “he doesn’t look as if he was very particular.”
“Oh, thanks, awfully!” replied Barnworth.
The amiable coloured up more than ever.