"He's extraordinarily popular now," I said.
"He's the most fearless little beast I ever met. And there's such a glorious uncertainty about him. One moment he's your long-lost brother, the next he's slanging you like a pickpocket in about six languages, the next he's apologizing and shaking hands. I suppose he'll be captain the year after next. It'll be an eventful time for the school."
O'Rane's other conflict with authority was less impassioned and on a smaller scale. He had absented himself from Chapel for the better part of the term, and Burgess one day inquired the reason.
"I don't believe all the stuff they hand out there, sir."
"Have I asked thee to believe it, laddie?" demanded Burgess, who had almost ceased to expect polished diction from O'Rane.
"Well, sir, if I _pretend_ to believe it...."
"But if I go, sir, people naturally assume...."
"And how long has David O'Rane given ear to the vain repetitions of the Synagogue and Market-place?"
For the moment Raney experienced some difficulty in finding an answer. Then he said:
"Laddie, thou art of an age to determine this for thyself. I am an old man, broken with the cares and sorrows of this life. Peradventure the wisdom and truth that were taught me while I hanged yet upon my mother's breast no longer charm the ears of the younger men. Peradventure
"The Saints and Sages that discussed Of the two Worlds so learnedly are thrust Like Foolish Prophets forth; their words to scorn Are scattered, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust."
Herein thou must walk thine own road, laddie.
"Certain points, left wholly to himself, When once a man has arbitrated on, We say he must succeed there or go hang.
. . . . he must avouch, Or follow, at the least, sufficiently, The form of faith his conscience holds the best, Whate'er the process of conviction was: For nothing can compensate his mistake On such a point, the man himself being judge: He cannot wed twice, nor twice lose his soul."
An thou thinkest thou canst learn aught from the life of the man Christ Jesus, laddie, thy time will not be lost."
Thereafter O'Rane attended Chapel with assiduity until the breaking-up service on the last day.
For weeks we had been saying good-bye to Melton, dismantling our studies, packing our books, seeking our porters and groundmen to press upon them our last tip. The final morning saw us seated betimes at Leaving Breakfast--a quaint Saturnalia whereat all discipline departed and every junior in Hall was compelled to read a rimed criticism of the departing monitors. I recall that Tom Dainton, who had almost single-handed won the Cricket Shield and established Matheson's in a tenth year of unbroken tenure, received a rousing send-off; Loring and I were let down lightly, while Draycott was pointedly informed that his hair was unduly long and his clothes an eyesore.