WiththelastweekofthetermtheOldBoysbegattoarrive，andtheirwelcomewasnicelyproportionedtotheirworth。GentlemencadetsfromSandhurstandWoolwich，whohadonlyleftayearago，butwhocarriedenormousside，weregreetedwithacheerful\"Hullo！What’stheShoplike？\"fromthosewhohadsharedtheirstudies。
Militiasubalternshadmoreconsideration，butitwasunderstoodtheywerenotpreciselyofthetruemetal。Recreantswho，failingfortheArmy，hadgoneintobusinessorbankswerereceivedforoldsake’ssake，butinnowaymadetoomuchof。
Butwhentherealsubalterns，officersandgentlemenfull—blown——whohadbeentotheendsoftheearthandbackagainandsocarriednoside——cameonthescenestrollingaboutwiththeHead，theschooldividedrightandleftinadmiringsilence。AndwhenonelaidhandsonFlint，evenupontheHeadoftheGamescrying，\"GoodHeavens！Whatdoyoumeanbygrowinginthisway？YouwereabeastlylittlefagwhenIleft，\"
visiblehaloesencircledFlint。Theywouldwalktoandfrointhecorridorwiththelittleredschool—sergeant，tellingnewsofoldregiments；theywouldburstintoform—roomssniffingthewell—rememberedsmellsofinkandwhitewash；theywouldfindnephewsandcousinsinthelowerformsandpresentthemwithenormouswealth；ortheywouldinvadethegymnasiumandmakeFoxyshowoffthenewstockonthebars。
Chiefly，though，theytalkedwiththeHead，whowasfather—confessorandagent—generaltothemall；forwhattheyshoutedintheirunthinkingyouth，theyprovedintheirthoughtlessmanhood——towit，thattheProoshanBateswas\"adownybird。\"Youngbloodwhohadstumbledintoanentanglementwithapastry—cook’sdaughteratPlymouth；experiencewhohadcomeintoasmalllegacybutmistrustedlawyers；ambitionhaltingatcross—roads，anxioustotaketheonethatwouldleadhimfarthest；extravagancepursuedbythemoney—lender；arroganceinthethickofaregimentalrow——eachcarriedhistroubletotheHead；andChironshowedhim，inlanguagequiteunfitforlittleboys，aquietandsafewayround，out，orunder。Sotheyoverflowedhishouse，smokedhiscigars，anddrankhishealthastheyhaddrunkitalltheearthoverwhentwoorthreeoftheoldschoolhadforegathered。