"That, after all, a senior wrangler was no great shakes. Any man
might be one if he liked, but there were a lot of fellows that he
knew who would be very sorry to go in for anything so slow."
Molly thought the game never would end. She had no particular turn
for gambling in her; and whatever her card might be, she regularly
put on two counters, indifferent as to whether she won or lost.
Cynthia, on the contrary, staked high, and was at one time very rich,
but ended by being in debt to Molly something like six shillings. She
had forgotten her purse, she said, and was obliged to borrow from the
more provident Molly, who was aware that the round game of which Miss
Browning had spoken to her was likely to require money. If it was
not a very merry affair for all the individuals concerned, it was
a very noisy one on the whole. Molly thought it was going to last
till midnight; but punctually, as the clock struck nine, the little
maid-servant staggered in under the weight of a tray loaded with
sandwiches, cakes, and jelly. This brought on a general move; and
Roger, who appeared to have been on the watch for something of the
kind, came and took a chair by Molly.
"I am so glad to see you again--it seems such a long time since
Christmas," said he, dropping his voice, and not alluding more
exactly to the day when she had left the Hall.
"It is a long time," she replied; "we are close to Easter now. I
have so wanted to tell you how glad I was to hear about your honours
at Cambridge. I once thought of sending you a message through
your brother, but then I thought it might be making too much fuss,
because I know nothing of mathematics, or of the value of a senior
wranglership; and you were sure to have so many congratulations from
people who did know."
"I missed yours though, Molly," said he, kindly. "But I felt sure you
were glad for me."
"Glad and proud too," said she. "I should so like to hear something
more about it. I heard you telling Cynthia--"
"Yes. What a charming person she is! I should think you must be
happier than we expected long ago."
"But tell me something about the senior wranglership, please," said
Molly.
"It's a long story, and I ought to be helping the Miss Brownings to
hand sandwiches--besides, you wouldn't find it very interesting, it's
so full of technical details."
"Cynthia looked very much interested," said Molly.