“Well, it's lucky it's no worse,” said Hardy, peering over his shoulder; “I had a lot of odd saucers, and there's enough left to last my time. Never mind the smash, let's sit down again and be reasonable.”
Tom sat down in high good humor. He felt himself more on an equality with his host than he had done before, and even thought he might venture on a little mild expostulation or lecturing. But while he was considering how to improve the occasion Hardy began himself.
“I shouldn't go so furious, Brown, if I didn't care about the place so much. I can't bear to think of it as a sort of learning machine, in which I am to grind for three years to get certain degrees which I want. No—this place, and Cambridge, and our great schools, are the heart of dear old England. Did you ever read Secretary Cook's address to the Vice-Chancellor, Doctors, &c. in 1636—more critical times, perhaps, even than ours? No? Well, listen then;” and he went to his bookcase, took down a book, and read; “'The very truth is, that all wise princes respect the welfare of their estates, and consider that schools and universities are (as in a body) the noble and vital parts, which being vigorous and sound send good blood and active spirits into the veins and arteries, which cause health and strength; or, if feeble or ill-affected, corrupt all the vital parts; whereupon grow diseases, and in the end, death itself.' A low standard up here for ten years may corrupt half the parishes in the kingdom.”
“That's true,” said Tom, “but-”
“Yes; and so one has a right to be jealous for Oxford. Every Englishman ought to be.”
“But I really think, Hardy, that you're unreasonable,” said Tom, who had no mind to be done out of his chance of lecturing his host.
“I am very quick-tempered,” said Hardy, “as I told you just now.”
“But you're not fair on the fast set up here. They can't help being rich men, after all.”
“No; so one oughtn't to expect them to be going through the eyes of needles, I suppose. But do you mean to say you ever heard of a more dirty, blackguard business than this?” said Hardy; “he ought to be expelled the University.”
“I admit that,” said Tom; “but it was only one of them, you know. I don't believe there's another man in the set who would have done it.”