The Gladiators
time. I didn't care for the matron—thought she had shifty eyes, don't you know, but I don't suppose that's her fault. It must be awfully difficult to look straightforward, when you're always on the watch and expecting the patients to give you the slip.
"Linwood looked splendidly well. He seemed as jolly as anything. The first thing he did was to ask me about the club. Wanted to know who was playing centre now, and I told him we'd never had a man who was worth his salt, since he went away. He was pleased. I was jolly glad I'd gone when I saw how it cheered him up to know what a lot of rotters we'd had for backs lately."
"Too much blooming esprit-de-corps," I repeated dreamily.
Georgie flushed.
"Poor chap, you can't expect him to be sorry he's missed," said he, "he's only human after all. And we shall never have a centre three-quarter in the town to touch him. I told him about the Gladiators, and
205
