There was no fresh news when he got to the house: he saw David’s father and sister for a minute only, but was not allowed to go in to see him. After that he went into the boys’ part of the house, and found that Bags was waiting up also, by permission, in the double prefects’ study which he shared with David. Maddox knew it well: it was the one he had managed to procure for himself alone the year that David came to the school and fagged for him.
Bags was full of quiet politeness. He gave Maddox the sofa, and, since the rest of the house had gone to bed, suggested that he might smoke if he wished.
“Adams won’t mind,” he said. “It’s jolly of you to come and keep me company. You know——”
And then Bags could not speak any more at once.
“Thanks, I won’t smoke,” said Maddox. “You were with David at his private school too, weren’t you?”
“And been pals ever since. Same as me. Both of us David’s friends, I mean.”
Bags forgot to be shy of this great Cambridge cricket-blue.
“You should have seen David,” he said, jerking out the words. “He went bang for that horse, like taking a header. I—I ought to have done it, you know. I got out of school-shop just in front of him and stood staring.”
“Oh, my God, why didn’t you?” said Maddox suddenly.
“I know, it was rotten of me,” he said. “But David was so damned quick about it, you know. He just chucked a bag of macaroons at me, and simply jumped. And then the wheel went over him, and he was dragged along with the rein round his wrist.”
Bags gave one awful sniff and pointed to a white paper parcel that protruded from the cupboard where tea things were kept.
“There they are,” he said. “He told me not to eat any. Last thing he said. And . . . and I want to see him again so frightfully, just to see him you know. What a ripper! He didn’t know how I liked him. You did too. Same boat, isn’t it?”
Bags had no pretence of fortitude left, and mopped his eyes.
“Damn that horse,” he said. “Who’d have cared if it had killed the whole High Street, so long as David didn’t put his carcase in the light, silly—silly idiot. But—but a fellow just loves him the more for it. I keep thinking over day after day of these last five years. Do you remember when he was swished?”