“No, indeed,” said Miss Merry, “we just wander on; one thing suggests another.  Mrs. Graves likes long books; she says she likes to get at a subject quietly—­that there ought not to be too many good things in books; she likes them slow and spacious.”

“I am afraid one has to go back a good way for that!” said Howard.  “People can’t afford now to know more than a manual of a couple of hundred pages can tell them about a subject.  I can tell you some good historical books, and some books of literary criticism and biography.  I can’t do much about poetry or novels; and philosophy, science, and theology I am no use at all for.  But I could get you some advice if you like.  That’s the best of Cambridge, there are so many people about who are able to tell what to read.”

While they were making out a list, Jack arrived breathlessly, and Miss Merry shamefacedly withdrew.  Howard said:  “Perhaps that will do to go on with—­we will have another talk to-morrow.  I begin to see the sort of thing you want.”

Jack was in a state of high excitement.

“What on earth were you doing,” he said, as the door closed, “with that sedate spinster?”

“We were making out a list of books!”

“Ah,” said Jack with a profound air, “books are dangerous things—­ that’s the intellectual way of making love!  You must be a great excitement here, with all your ideas!—­but now,” he went on, “here I am—­I hurried back the moment breakfast was over.  I have been horribly bored—­a lawn-tennis party yesterday, the females much to the fore—­it’s no good that, it’s not the game; at least it’s not lawn-tennis; it’s a game all right, but I much suspect it has to do with love-making rather than exercise.”

“You seem very suspicious this morning,” said Howard; “you accuse me of flirting to begin with, and now you suspect lawn-tennis.”

Jack shook his head.  “I do hate love-making!” he said, “it spoils everything—­it gets in the way, and makes fools of people; the longer I live, the more I see that most of the things that people do are excuses for doing something else!  But never mind that!  I said I had got to get back to be coached; I said that one of our dons was staying in the village and had his eye on me.  What I want to know is whether you have made any arrangements about shooting or fishing?  You said you would if you could.”

“The keeper is coming in,” said Howard, “and we will have a talk to him; but mind, on one condition—­work in the morning, exercise in the afternoon; and you are to stop to lunch.”

“Cousin Anne is bursting into hospitality,” said Jack, “because Maud is coming in for the afternoon.  I haven’t had time to pump Maud yet about you, but, by George, I’m going to pump you about her and father.  Did you have a very thick time last night?  I could see father was rather licking his lips.”

“Now, no more chatter,” said Howard; “you go and get some books, and we will set to work at once.”  Jack nodded and fled.