v.] HARRY’S DREAM. 257
you sing a song in your turn, or say something amus-
ing ? You seem as dull as ditch-water to-day,’

‘Thank you!’ said Harry with a laugh ; ‘I would
sing if I could, but I really can’t. I don’t belong to
the musical fellows at Eton. Now if Ronaldson were
here, he would sing you “Simon the Cellarer” in no
time—he’s the chap to sing, and as for making you
laugh, to see A272 laugh would set you off for a week,
he is famous for his laugh.’

‘Who is he?’ asked the lady, whose attention had
now been attracted by the conversation, to which she
had hitherto paid marked disregard.

‘Oh! one of the sixth form at Eton, said Harry.

‘What are they ?’ she demanded.

‘ What are they ?’ said Harry, somewhat indignant
at there being anybody who did not know what a
sixth-form boy at Eton was, ‘why, the head fellows
in the school of course!’

‘No “of course” at all,’ interposed the little old
gentleman. ‘The head fellows must be the jist
fellows, and therefore the frs¢ form and not the sza¢h
form must contain the head fellows.’

‘Oh no!’ cried Harry, ‘you don’t understand. |

‘Z don’t understand !’ bawled the other at the top
of his voice. ‘How dare you say so? I understand
everything and know everything best, and therefore
either I’m quite right or else Eton has made some
stupid mistake in the matter. At all events, the great
thing is that J am right; so pray say no more about it,
especially as this singing fool of yours is not here,
thank goodness,’

Harry was very much tempted to reply, but thought

Ss