"I had a book published once--those sonnets, you remember," Kit
interposed meekly.

"What did it cost you?"

"Only a couple of hundred."

"Any other achievements?"

"I had a forest play acted at the summer jinks."

"What did you get for it?"

"Glory."

"And you used to swim, and you have essayed to sit a horse!" John
Bellew set his glass down with unnecessary violence. "What earthly
good are you anyway? You were well put up, yet even at university
you didn't play football. You didn't row. You didn't-"

"I boxed and fenced--some."

"When did you last box?"

"Not since; but I was considered an excellent judge of time and
distance, only I was--er-"

"Go on."

"Considered desultory."