I
thought you had better see him, and try if you can do anything. It
is a great nuisance, and the less said about it the better; but of
course we can't stand this kind of thing, and it had better be
stopped at once."
"Yes, I will see him at once," said Howard. "I am very sorry. I did
not think he would play the fool like that."
"One never knows!" said the Dean; "to speak plainly, I don't think
he is doing much good here. Rather too much a man of the world for
my taste. But there is nothing particular against him, and I don't
want to be hard on him."
Howard sent for Jack at once. He came in, in an obviously
rebellious frame of mind.
"I know," he said. "Yes, of course I was a fool; but it isn't worth
making a row about. I don't go in for soaking, like some of the men
who don't get caught, and I have no intention of going to the bad,
if that is what you mean."
"You are an ass!" said Howard, "a real ass! Now don't say a word
yet, till I have told you what I think. You may have your say
afterwards. I don't care twopence about your getting drunk once in
a way. It's a stupid thing to do, to my mind, and I don't see the
point of it. I don't consider you a reprobate, nor am I going to
take a high line about drunkenness; I know perfectly well that you
are no more likely to take to drink than the Master is. But it
isn't good enough. You put yourself on the wrong side, you give
people a wrong idea of yourself.
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