not mind that. His devotion to Sedleigh was purely unselfish. He did not
want fame. All he worked for was that the school should grow and grow,
keener and better at games and more prosperous year by year, till it
should take its rank among _the_ schools, and to be an Old Sedleighan
should be a badge passing its owner everywhere.

"He's captain of cricket and Rugger," said Jellicoe impressively. "He's
in the shooting eight. He's won the mile and half mile two years
running. He would have boxed at Aldershot last term, only he sprained
his wrist. And he plays fives jolly well!"

"Sort of little tin god," said Mike, taking a violent dislike to Adair
from that moment.

Mike's actual acquaintance with this all-round man dated from the dinner
hour that day. Mike was walking to the house with Psmith. Psmith was a
little ruffled on account of a slight passage-of-arms he had had with
his form master during morning school.

"'There's a P before the Smith,' I said to him. 'Ah, P. Smith, I see,'
replied the goat. 'Not Peasmith,' I replied, exercising wonderful
self-restraint, 'just Psmith.' It took me ten minutes to drive the thing
into the man's head; and when I _had_ driven it in, he sent me out of
the room for looking at him through my eyeglass. Comrade Jackson, I fear
me we have fallen among bad men. I suspect that we are going to be much
persecuted by scoundrels."

"Both you chaps play cricket, I suppose?"

They turned. It was Adair. Seeing him face to face, Mike was aware of a