“When did you meet that fellow Brill?” he asked.

“In Gardiner’s room this morning; he introduced us.”  Paul began to look sulky again.  “Seems a decent sort, I think,” he added defiantly.  Neil accepted the challenge.

“I dare say,” he answered carelessly.  “There’s only one thing I’ve got against him.”

“What’s that?” questioned Paul suspiciously.

“His errand.”

“What’s wrong with his errand?”

“Everything, Paul.  You know as well as I that his offer is—­well, it’s shady, to say the least.  Who ever heard of a decent college offering free tutoring in order to get fellows for its football team?”

“Lots of them do,” growled Paul.

“No, they don’t; not decent ones.  Some do, I know; but they’re not colleges a fellow cares to go to.  Every one knows what rotten shape Robinson athletics are in; the papers have been full of it for two years.  Their center rush this fall, Harden, just went there to play on the team, and everybody says that he got his tuition free.  You don’t want to play on a team like that and have people say things like that about you.  I’m sure I don’t.”

“Oh, you!” sneered Paul.  “You’re getting crankier and crankier every day.  I’ll bet you’re just huffy because Brill didn’t ask you first.”

Neil flushed, but kept his temper.

“You don’t think anything of the sort, Paul.  Besides—­”

“It looks that way,” muttered Paul.

“Besides,” continued Neil calmly, “what’s the advantage in going to Robinson?  We’ve arranged everything; we’ve got our rooms picked out at Erskine; there are lots of fellows there we know; the college is the best of its class and its athletics are honest.  If you play on the Erskine team you’ll be somebody, and folks won’t hint that you’re receiving money or free scholarships or something for doing it.  And as for Brill’s guarantee of a place on the team, why, there’s only one decent way to get on a football team, and that’s by good, hard work; and there’s no reason for doubting that you’ll make the Erskine varsity eleven.”

“Yes, there is, too,” answered Paul angrily.  “They’ve got lots of good players at Erskine, and you and I won’t stand any better show than a dozen others.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh!  Well, I do; that is, I want to make the team.  Besides, as Brill said, if a fellow has the faculty after him all the time about studies he can’t do decent work on the team.  I don’t see anything wrong in it, and—­and I’m going.  I’ll tell Brill so to-morrow!”

Neil drew his bath-robe about him, and looked thoughtfully into the flames.  So far he had lost, but he had one more card to play.  He turned and faced Paul’s angry countenance.

“Well, if I should go to Robinson and play on her team under the conditions offered by that—­by Brill I’d feel disgraced.”

“You’d better stay away, then,” answered Paul hotly.