Othersweretoostupidtosucceed，orperhapstheirnaturaltalentshadanotherbent，whiletheremainder，bynomeansthemostbrilliant，butwithafacultyforpassingexaminationsandwithoutanydisturbingoriginality，workedhardandsailedintotheirdesiredhavenwithconsiderablefacility，beingofthestuffofwhichmostsuccessfulmenaremade。Fortherest，therewastheopportunity，andiftheydidnotavailthemselvesofitScoones’wasnottoblame。Itwas，andperhapsstillremains，amostadmirableinstitutionofitssort，one，indeed，ofwhichthepresentchroniclerhasverygratefulrecollections。
　　AmongthepupilsstudyingtherewasayoungmannamedArthurThorburn，anorphan，withconsiderableexpectations，wholivedwithanauntinafineoldhouseatQueenAnne’sGate。Hewasabrilliantyoungman，wittyandoriginal，butrashandwithoutperseverance，whomhisguardianswishedtoentertheDiplomaticService，acareerinwhich，withoutdoubt，hadheeverattainedtoit，hewouldhaveachievedaconsiderablefailure。Inappearancehewasofmediumheight，round-
　　faced，light-haired，blue-eyed，withaconstantandmostcharmingsmile，ineverywayacompletecontrasttoGodfrey。Perhapsthiswasthereasonofthecuriousattachmentthatthetwoformedforeachother，unless，indeed，suchstrongandstrangeaffinitieshavetheirrootsinpastindividualhistory，whichisveiledfrommortaleyes。Atanyrate，ithappenedthatonGodfrey’sfirstdayatScoones’hesatnexttoArthurThorburnintwoclasseswhichheattended。Godfreylistenedintentlyandmadenotes；Arthurcaricaturedthelecturer，anartforwhichhehadanativegift，andpassedtheresultsroundtheclass。Godfreysawthecaricatureandsniggered，thenwhenthelectureswereovergravelyreprovedtheauthor，sayingthatheshouldnotdosuchthings。
　　“Whynot？“askedArthur，openinghisblueeyes。“Heavenintendedthatstuffyoldparrot“hehaddrawnthislearnedmanasadilapidatedfowlofthatspecies“tobecaricatured。Observethathisnoseisalreadyhalfabeak。Orperhapsitisabeakdevelopingintoanose；
　　itdependswhetherheisonthedownwardorupwardpathofevolution。“
　　“Becauseyoumademelaugh，“repliedGodfrey，“wherebyIlostatleasteighteenpennyworthofinformation。“
　　“Alaughiswortheighteenpence，“suggestedArthur。
　　“Thatdependsuponhowmanyeighteenpencesonepossesses。Youmayhavelots，somepeopleareshortofthem。“
　　“Quitetrue。Ineverlookedatitinthatwaybefore。Iamobligedtoyouforputtingitsoplainly，“saidArthurwithhischarmingsmile。
　　Suchwasthebeginningoftheacquaintanceofthesetwo，andinsomecasesmighthavebeenitsend。Butwiththemitwasnotso。ArthurconceivedasincereadmirationforGodfreywhocouldspeaklikethistoastranger，andatScoones’andasmuchaspossibleoutside，hauntedhimlikeashadow。SoonitwasaregularthingforGodfreytogotodineattheoldGeorgianhouseinQueenAnne’sGateuponSundayevenings，wherehebecamepopularwiththerathermagnificentearly-
　　Victorianauntwhothoughtthatheexercisedagoodinfluenceuponhernephew。Sometimes，too，ArthurwouldaccompanyGodfreytoHampsteadandsitsmokingandmakingfurtivecaricaturesofhimandMrs。
　　Parsons，whileheworkedandshebeamedadmiration。Theoccupationsoundsdull，butsomehowArthurdidnotfinditso；hesaidthatitrestedhisoverwroughtbrain。
　　“Lookhere，oldfellow，“saidGodfreyatlength，“haveyouanyintentionofpassingthatexaminationofyours？“
　　“IntheinterestsoftheDiplomaticServiceandofthecountryIthinknot，“repliedArthurreflectively。“Ifeelthatitisacasewheretruealtruismbecomesaduty。“
　　“Thenwhatdoyoumeantodowithyourself？“
　　“Don’tknow。Liveonmymoney，Isuppose，andonthatofmyrespectedauntafterherlamenteddeceasewhich，althoughIseenosignsofit，shetellsmesheconsidersimminent。“
　　“Idon’twonder，Arthur，withyouhangingaboutthehouse。Yououghttobeashamedofyourself。Amanismadetoworkhiswaythroughtheworld，nottoidle。“
　　“Likeabeetleboringthroughwood，notlikeabutterflyflittingoverflowers；that’swhatyoumean，isn’tit？Well，butterfliesarenicerthanbeetles，andsomeofuslikeflowersbetterthandeadwood。But，Isay，oldchap，doyoumeanit？“
　　“Ido，andsodoesyouraunt。“
　　“Letuswaivemyaunt。Likethepoorsheisalwayswithus，andI，alas!amwellacquaintedwithherviews，whicharethoseofapastepoch。ButIamnotobstinate；tellmewhattodoandI’lldoit——
　　anythingexceptentertheDiplomaticService，tolieabroadforthebenefitofmycountry，inthewordsoftheancientsaying。“
　　“Thereisnofearofthat，foryouwouldneverpasstheexamination，“
　　saidthepracticalGodfrey。“Yousee，youaretooclever，“headdedbywayofexplanation，“andtoomuchoccupiedwithadozenthingsofwhichexaminerstakenoaccount，themeritsofthevariousreligioussystems，forinstance。“
　　“Soareyou，“interruptedArthur。
　　“IknowIam；Ilovethem。I’dliketotalktoyouaboutreincarnationandastronomy，ofwhichIknowsomething，andevenastrologyandthesurvivalofthedeadandlotsofotherthings。ButIhavegottomakemywayintheworld，andI’venotime。YouthinkmeaheavyboreandanoldfogeybecauseIwon’tgotopartiestowhichlotsofthosenicefellowsaskme。DoyousupposeIshouldn’tlikethepartiesandallthelarksafterwardsandthejollyactressesandtherest？OfcourseI
　　should，forI’mamanlikeothers。ButItellyouIhaven’ttime。I’vefloutedmyfather，andI’monmyhonour，sotospeak，tojustifymyselfandgeton。SoImeantopassthattomfoolexaminationandtocramdownalotofstuffinordertodoso，whichisofnomoreusetomethanthoughIhadswallowedsomuchbrownpaper。Fool-stuff，pulpedbyfoolstobethefoodoffools——that’swhatitis。AndnowI’mgoingtoshovesomespoonfulsofitdownmythroat，solightyourpipe，andpleasebequiet。“
　　“Onemomentmoreofyourprecioustime，“interruptedArthur。“Whatistheexactcareerthatyouproposetoadorn？Somethingforeign，Ithink——IndianCivilService？“
　　“No，asIhavetoldyouadozentimes，IndianArmy。“
　　“Thearmyhaspoints——possiblyinthefutureitmightgiveamananopportunityofdepartingfromtheworldinafashionthatisgenerally，ifinerror，consideredtobedecent。India，too，hasstillmorepoints，forthereanyonewithintelligencemightstudythebeginningsofcivilisation，which，perhaps，arealsoitsend。Myfriend，I，too，willentertheIndianArmy，thatisifIcanpasstheexamination。Providemeatoncewiththenecessarybooksand，Mrs。
　　Parsons，begood-heartedenoughtobringsomeofyourexcellentcoffee，breweddoublestrong。Donotimagine，youngman，whoought，bytheway，tohavebeenbornfiftyyearsearlierandmarriedmyaunt，thatyouaretheonlyonewhocanfaceandconquerfacts，eventhoseadvancedbythatmostaccursedofempty-headedbores，themanorthemaniaccalledEuclid。“
　　Sothepairofthemstudiedtogether，andbydintofprivatetuitionintheevening，foratScoones’wherehistalentforcaricaturewastoomuchforhim，Arthurwoulddolittleornothing，Godfreydraggedhisfriendthroughtheexamination，thelastbutoneinthelist。Eventhenamiracleintervenedtosavehim。Arthur’sEuclidwashopeless。
　　Hehatedthewholebusinessofsquaresandanglesandparallelogramswithsuchintensitythatitmadehimmentallyandmorallysick。Tohis，astosomeotherminds，itwasutternonsensedevisedbyasemi-
　　lunaticforthebewildermentofmankind，andadoptedbyotherlunaticsasanappropriateformoftortureoftheyoung。
　　Atlength，indespair，Godfrey，knowingthatArthurhadanexcellentmemory，onlythenightbeforetheexamination，madehimlearnacoupleofpropositionsselectedoutofthebookswhichweretobestudied，quiteathazard，withinjunctionsthatnomatterwhatotherpropositionsweresetheshouldwriteoutthesetwo，pretendingthathehadmistakenthequestion。ThisArthurdidwithperfectaccuracy，andbythegreatestofgoodluckoneofthetwopropositionswasactuallythatwhichhewasaskedtosetdown，whiletheotherwasallowedtopassasanerror。
　　Sohebumpedthroughsomehow，andintheendtheIndianArmygainedamostexcellentofficer。ItistruethatthereweredifficultieswhenheexplainedtohisauntandhistrusteesthatinsomeinexplicablemannerhehadpassedforSandhurstinsteadofintotheDiplomaticService。Butwhenhedemonstratedtothemthatthiswashisgreatandfinaleffortandthatnothingonearthwouldinducehimtofaceanotherexamination，eventobemadeaking，theythoughtitbesttoaccepttheaccomplishedfact。
　　“Afterall，youhavepassedsomething，“saidhisaunt，“whichismorethananyoneeverexpectedyouwoulddo，andthearmyisrespectable，for，asIhavetoldyou，mygrandfatherwaskilledatWaterloo。“
　　“Yes，“repliedArthur，“youhavetoldme，mydearAunt，veryoften。Hebrokehisneckbyjumpingoffhishorsewhenridingtowardsorfromthebattlefield，didhenot？andnowIproposetofollowhishonouredexample，onthebattlefield，ifpossible，orifnot，insteeplechasing。“
　　SothepairofthemwenttoSandhursttogether，andtogetherinduecourseweregazettedtoacertainregimentofIndiancavalry，theonlydifferencebeingthatGodfreypassedouttopandArthurpassedoutbottom，although，infact，hewasmuchtheclevererofthetwo。Oftheintervalbetweenthesetwoexaminationsthereisnothingthatneedbereported，fortheirlivesandthethingsthathappenedtothemwereasthoseofhundredsofotheryoungmen。Onlythroughalltheyremainedthefastestoffriends，somuchsothatbytheinfluenceofGeneralCubitte，ashasbeensaid，theymanagedtobegazettedtothesameregiment。
　　DuringthosetwoyearsGodfreyneversawhisfather，andcommunicatedwithhimbutrarely。HiswintervacationswerespentatMrs。Parsons’