At no great distance stood his competitor, Godwin Peak embarrassed, he also, with wealth of spoils; but about this young man was no concourse of admiring kinsfolk.  No lady offered him her hand or shaped compliments for him with gracious lips.  Half-a-dozen fellow-students, among them John Earwaker, talked in his vicinity of the day’s results.  Peak’s part in the gossip was small, and when he smiled it was in a forced, anxious way, with brief raising of his eyes.  For a moment only was the notice of a wider circle directed upon him when Dr Nares, moving past with a train of colloquial attendants, turned aside to repeat his praise of the young man’s achievements in Philosophy:  he bestowed a kindly shake of the hand, and moved on.

The Warricombe group descended, in purposeless fashion, towards the spot where Chilvers held his court.  Their personal acquaintance with Bruno and his family was slight, and though Mrs. Warricombe would gladly have pushed forward to claim recognition, natural diffidence restrained her.  Sidwell kept in the rear, risking now and then a glance of vivid curiosity on either hand.  Buckland, striving not to look petulant or sullen, allowed himself to be led on; but when he became aware of the tendency Bruno-wards, a protest broke from him.

’There’s no need to swell that fellow’s conceit.  Here, father, come and have a word with Peak; he looks rather down in the mouth among his second prizes.’

Mr. Warricombe having beckoned his companions, they reluctantly followed to the more open part of the hall.

‘It’s very generous of Buckland,’ fell from the lady’s lips, and she at length resolved to show an equal magnanimity.  Peak and Earwaker were conversing together when Buckland broke in upon them with genial outburst.

’Confound it, Peak! what do you mean by getting me stuck into a bracket?’

‘I had the same question to as you,’ returned the other, with a grim smile.

Mr. Warricombe came up with extended hand.

‘A species of bracket,’ he remarked, smiling benevolently, ’which no algebraic process will remove.  Let us hope it signifies that you and Buckland will work through life shoulder to shoulder in the field of geology.  What did Professor Gale give you?’

Before he could reply, Peak had to exchange greetings with Mrs Warricombe and her daughter.  Only once hitherto had he met them.  Six months ago he had gone out with Buckland to the country-house and passed an afternoon there, making at the time no very favourable impression on his hostess.  He was not of the young men who easily insinuate themselves into ladies’ affections:  his exterior was against him, and he seemed too conscious of his disadvantages in that particular.  Mrs. Warricombe found it difficult to shape a few civil phrases for the acceptance of the saturnine student.  Sidwell, repelled and in a measure alarmed by his bilious countenance, could do no more than grant him her delicately gloved fingers.  Peak, for his part, had nothing to say.  He did not even affect an interest in these persons, and turned his eyes to follow the withdrawing Earwaker.  Mr. Warricombe, however, had found topic for discourse in the prize volume; he began to comment on the excellence of certain sections of the book.