"Oh no! He isn't one of those. But the Maverings have plenty of money,"
said Mrs. Saintsbury, "and Dan's been very free with it, though not
lavish. And he came here with a reputation for popularity from a very
good school, and that always goes a very great way in college."

"Yes?" said Mrs. Pasmer, feeling herself getting hopelessly adrift in
these unknown waters; but reposing a pious confidence in her pilot.

"Yes; if a sufficient number of his class said he was the best fellow in
the world, he would be pretty sure to be chosen one of the First Ten in
the 'Dickey'."

"What mysteries!" gasped Mrs. Pasmer, disposed to make fun of them, but a
little overawed all the same. "What in the world is the 'Dickey'?"

"It's the society that the Freshmen are the most eager to get into.
They're chosen, ten at a time, by the old members, and to be one of the
first ten--the only Freshmen chosen--is something quite ineffable."

"I see." Mrs. Pasmer fanned herself, after taking a long breath. "And
when he had got into the------"

"Then it would depend upon himself, how he spent his money, and all that,
and what sort of society success he was in Boston. That has a great
deal to do with it from the first. Then another thing is caution
--discreetness; not saying anything censorious or critical of other men,
no matter what they do. And Dan Mavering is the perfection of prudence,
because he's the perfection of good-nature."

Mrs. Pasmer had apparently got all of these facts that she could digest.