From this day Cedric attached himself to his benefactor with a dog-
like fidelity and devotion that secretly touched Malcolm. During the
latter's brief visits to Oxford they were seldom apart; and in spite
of the disparity between their ages, and the marked difference in
their tastes, a warm mutual attachment sprang up between the two.
Malcolm was soon put in possession of Cedric's history and manner of
life from his boyhood; he listened to copious anecdotes of his home
and school-days.

He was soon made aware of Cedric's crowning ambition to take part in
the Oxford and Cambridge race, and that this honour was the dream
and purpose of his life.

His other purpose, to compete for the Civil Service Examination at
the close of his university life, seemed relegated to the background
and scarcely entered into his thoughts at all; and though Malcolm
dropped a warning word from time to time, he dared not put too much
pressure on the lad, for he recognised intuitively how body and mind
were developing under an athlete's training. Cedric's fame as an
oarsman soon reached the ears of authority, and at the time of his
visit to Lincoln's Inn it was already a foregone conclusion that his
name would be entered for the next race.

They talked of this for some time; and then, as the storm still
raged, Malcolm handed his visitor his own copy of the Times, and sat
down to answer one or two pressing letters. As soon as these were
finished and Malachi had received his instructions for the next day,
he tilted his chair back from the table and disposed himself
comfortably for further talk.