"They are jolly little creatures," he said when they had all gone out.
"Yes," I said, with a sigh, "I do indeed envy you. I wish I could be set
to something of the kind."
"Oh, no, you don't," he said; "this is too simple for you! You want
something more artistic and more psychological. This would bore you to
extinction."
We walked all round the place, saw the games going on, and were
presently joined by Amroth, who seemed to be on terms of old
acquaintanceship with my friend. I was surprised at this, and he said:
"Why, yes, Amroth had the pleasure of bringing me here too. Things are
done here in groups, you know; and Amroth knows all about our lot. It is
very well organised, much better than one perceives at first. You
remember how you and I drifted to school together, and the set of boys
we found ourselves with--my word, what young ruffians some of us were!
Well, of course all that had been planned, though we did not know it."
"What!" said I; "the evil as well as the good?"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"That is not a very real distinction," said Amroth. "Of course the poor
bodies got in the way, as always; there was some fizzing and some
precipitation, as they say in chemistry.
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