human
Why, Georgie, old man, said Pledge,
gpt
I've just come up from the town,
human
Ah, trying to square somebody up, eh? It's not quite as easy as one might think; is it?
gpt
It's a wonder to me, you know, said Pledge, turning his back and looking out of the window,
human
Mansfield never speaks to me,
gpt
Really! How ungrateful of him, when you have been the means of enabling him to kick me out of the Sixth. Very ungrateful!
human
I never had anything to do with that,
gpt
No! You don't, then, believe a fellow can make use of you without your knowing it. You can't imagine Mansfield saying to his dear friends, 'I'd give anything to get at that wicked Pledge, but I daren't do it straight out. So I must pretend to be deeply interested in that little prig, Heathcote, and much concerned lest he should be corrupted by his wicked senior. That will be a fine excuse for having a slap at Pledge. I'll take away his fag, and then, of course, he'll resign, and we shall get rid of him!'
human
I don't believe he really said that,
gpt
If my name gets on the list, it will be because Dick and Coote and I ran through the hunt; that's why!
human
Ha, ha! If they could only humbug everybody as easily as they do you. So you are really going to get into the Club?
gpt
I'll try, if our names get on the list.
human
And you think they are sure to elect you? Of course you've done nothing to disgrace Templeton, eh?
gpt
They'd like you all the better, wouldn't they, if they heard you and your precious friends are--well, quite a matter of interest to the Templeton police; eh, my boy?
human
We're not, stammered Georgie, very red.
gpt
You needn't say anything about that, Pledge.
human
Is it likely? Don't I owe you too much already for cutting me, and talking of me behind my back, and letting the monitors make a catspaw of you to hurt me? Oh, no! I've no interest in telling anybody!
gpt
Really, Pledge, I never talked of you behind your back, and all that. I didn't mean to cut you. Please don't go telling everybody. It's bad enough as it is.
human
You see I have to help myself now,