After a solitary dinner at the club that evening he discovered in a remote corner of the smoking-room, a life-long acquaintance, an old schoolfellow, one Colonel Bagot, reading a newspaper. He approached.
"Good evening, Bagot."
Colonel Bagot raised his eyes from the paper, nodded, and resumed his reading. Sir Hildebrand deliberately wheeled a chair to his side and sat down.
"Can I have a word or two with you?"
"Certainly, my dear fellow," Bagot replied, putting down his paper.
"What kind of a boy was I at school?"
"What kind of a ... what the deuce do you mean?" asked the astonished colonel.
"I want you to tell me what kind of a boy I was," said Sir Hildebrand gravely.
"Just an ordinary chap."
"Would you have called me modest, generous, and kind?"