'He's not the sort of fellow to get sacked, I should say,' said the
Babe.

''Fraid not. I wish I could shunt into some other House. Between Ward
and the Mutual life here isn't worth living.'

'There's Merevale's, now,' said Vaughan. 'I wish I was in there. In the
first place you've got Merevale. He gets as near perfection as a beak
ever does. Coaches the House footer and cricket, and takes an
intelligent interest in things generally. Then there are some decent
fellows in Merevale's. Charteris, Welch, Graham, Thomson, heaps of
them.'

'Pity you came to Ward's,' said the Babe. 'Why did you?'

'My pater knew Ward a bit. If he'd known him well, he'd have sent me
somewhere else.'

'My pater knew Vaughan's pater well, who knew Ward slightly and there
you are. _Voila comme des accidents arrivent_.'

'If Ward wanted to lug in a day boy to be head of the House,' said
Vaughan, harping once more on the old string, 'he might at least have
got somebody decent.'

'There's the great Babe himself. Babe, why don't you come in next
term?'

'Not much,' said the Babe, with a shudder.