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hilip passed the next two years with comfortable mo-
Pnotony. He was not bullied more than other boys of his
size; and his deformity, withdrawing him from games, ac-
quired for him an insignificance for which he was grateful.
He was not popular, and he was very lonely. He spent a cou-
ple of terms with Winks in the Upper Third. Winks, with
his weary manner and his drooping eyelids, looked infinite-
ly bored. He did his duty, but he did it with an abstracted
mind. He was kind, gentle, and foolish. He had a great be-
lief in the honour of boys; he felt that the first thing to make
them truthful was not to let it enter your head for a moment
that it was possible for them to lie. ‘Ask much,’ he quoted,
‘and much shall be given to you.’ Life was easy in the Up-
per Third. You knew exactly what lines would come to your
turn to construe, and with the crib that passed from hand
to hand you could find out all you wanted in two minutes;
you could hold a Latin Grammar open on your knees while
questions were passing round; and Winks never noticed
anything odd in the fact that the same incredible mistake
was to be found in a dozen different exercises. He had no
great faith in examinations, for he noticed that boys never
did so well in them as in form: it was disappointing, but
not significant. In due course they were moved up, having
learned little but a cheerful effrontery in the distortion of

10 Of Human Bondage