"Well," said Jim, "life would be worth living here if it weren't for the
unearthly smugging, but as it is St. Amory's is about as lively as a
workhouse. I'm not forking out on this occasion. Taylor's smugs must do
all that is necessary to be done."
"Well," said Philips, "all the other fellows have given in their names,
bar you and Todd."
"Oh!" said Jim, with sudden interest, "you've asked Todd, have you?"
"Of course. Gus seemed rather waxy that he should be called upon. One
might almost fancy he hadn't got the five shillings."
"Todd evidently is a miserable miser," said Jim, with a bitter smile at
the thought of Gus's insolvent condition. "He isn't the same fellow he
used to be."
"Jove, no!" said Philips; "he's come on no end this term. He's an
improvement on the old Gus."
"Yes," said Jim, angrily; "the beaks have got him into their nets. But
he ought to subscribe to the Penfold, when he's the biggest smug in
Taylor's."
"And you ought too, Jim, since you've the biggest money-bags."
"All right," said Jim, "I'll subscribe. 'Twill look better if we all
subscribe."
"You're a funny ass, Cotton. I thought I was going to draw you blank.
What's the reason for your sudden change of mind?"
"I don't want to be bracketed equal with Toddy."
"That's settled, then," said Philips, who was puzzled at Jim's sudden
change of front. "And now let's see to Merishall's work for the
morning."
The subscriptions for a tablet in the great Penfold's honour were not
hard to obtain, the upper form fellows in Taylor's dunning the rest of
the house without mercy, and, to the great wonder of all, the foremost
of the duns was James Cotton, Esq.
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