Page 113 - of-human-bondage-

but his eyes were charming, and when he laughed (he was
constantly laughing) his face wrinkled all round them in a
jolly way. He was neither clever nor stupid, but good enough
at his work and better at games. He was a favourite with
masters and boys, and he in his turn liked everyone.
When Philip was put in the study he could not help see-
ing that the others, who had been together for three terms,
welcomed him coldly. It made him nervous to feel himself
an intruder; but he had learned to hide his feelings, and
they found him quiet and unobtrusive. With Rose, because
he was as little able as anyone else to resist his charm, Philip
was even more than usually shy and abrupt; and whether on
account of this, unconsciously bent upon exerting the fasci-
nation he knew was his only by the results, or whether from
sheer kindness of heart, it was Rose who first took Philip
into the circle. One day, quite suddenly, he asked Philip if he
would walk to the football field with him. Philip flushed.
‘I can’t walk fast enough for you,’ he said.
‘Rot. Come on.’
And just before they were setting out some boy put his
head in the study-door and asked Rose to go with him.
‘I can’t,’ he answered. ‘I’ve already promised Carey.’
‘Don’t bother about me,’ said Philip quickly. ‘I shan’t
mind.’
‘Rot,’ said Rose.
He looked at Philip with those good-natured eyes of his
and laughed. Philip felt a curious tremor in his heart.
In a little while, their friendship growing with boyish ra-
pidity, the pair were inseparable. Other fellows wondered

11 Of Human Bondage