Later, in William's bedroom, the two boys discussed the evening.

'Not a bad party,' said Matthew, 'Almost worth the trip from New York out here to the provinces, despite your stealing my girl.'

'Do you think she'll help me lose my virginity?' asked William, ignoring Matthew's mock accusation.

VeU, you have three weeks to find out, but I fear you'll discover she hasn't lost hers yet,' said Matthew. 'Such is my expertise in these matters that I'm willing to bet you five dollars she doesn't succumb even to the charms of William Lowell Kane.'

William planned a careful strategem. Virginity was one thing, but losing five dollars to Matthew was quite another. He saw Abby Blount nearly every day after that, taking advantage for the first time of owning his own house and car at seventeen.

He began to feel he would do better without the discreet but persistent chaperonage of Abby's parents who seemed always to be in the middle distance and he was not perceptibly nearer his goal when the last day of the holidays dawned.

Determined to win his five dollars, William sent Abby a dozen roses early in the day, took her out to an expensive dinner at Joseph's that evening and finally succeeded in coaxing her back into his front room.

'How did you get hold of a bottle of whisky while Prohibition is on?'

asked Abby.

'Oh, it's riot so hard,' William boasted.

The truth was that he had hidden a bottle of Henry Oshome's bourbon in his bedroom soon after he had left, and was now glad he had not poured it down the drain as had been his original intention.

William poured drinks that made him gasp and brought tears to Abby's eyes.

He sat down beside her and put his arm confidently around her shoulder.

She settled in to it.

'Abby, I think you're terribly pretty,' he murmured in a preliminary way at her auburn curls.

She gazed at him earnestly, her brown eyes wide. 'Oh, Williarn,' she breathed. 'And I think you're just wonderful!

Her doll - like face was irresistible. She allowed herself to be kissed.

Thus emboldened, William slipped a tentative hand from her wrist on to her breast, and left it there like a traffic cop halting an advancing stream of automobiles. She became pinkly indignant and pushed his arm down to allow the traffic to move on.

'William, you musn't do that.'

'Why not?' said William, struggling vainly to retain his grasp of her.

'Because you can't tell where it might end.'

'I've got a fair idea.'

Before he could renew his advances, Abby pushed him away and rose hastily, smoothing her dress.

"I think I ought to be getting home now, Williarn~ Tut you've only just arrived.'

'Mother will want to know what I've been doing.'

"You'll be able to tell her - nothing? 'And I think it's best it stays that way,' she added.

93ut I'm going back tomorrow.' He avoided saying, 'to school'.

'Well, you can write to me, William." Unlike Valentino, William knew when he was beaten. He rose, straightened his tie, took Abby by the hand and drove her home.

The following day, back at school, Matthew Lester accepted the proffered five - dollar note with eyebrows raised in mock astonishment.

'Just say one word, Matthew, and I'll chase you right around St. Paul's with a baseball bat.'

'I caet think of any words that would truly express my deep feeling of sympathy.'

'Matthew, right around St. Paul's!

William began to be aware of his housemaster's wife during his last two terms at St. Paul's. She was a good - looking woman, a little slack around the stomach and hips perhaps, but she carried her splendid bosom well and the luxuriant dark hair piled on top *of her head was no more streaked with grey than was becoming. One Saturday when William had sprained his wrist on the hockey rink, Mrs. Raglan bandaged it for him in a cool compress, standing a little closer than was necessary, allowing William% arm to brush against her breast. He enjoyed the sensation. 'Men on another occasion when he had a fever and was confined to the infirmary for a few days, she brought him all his meals herself and sat on his bed, her body touching his legs through the thin covering, while he ate. He enjoyed that too.

She was rumoured to be Grumpy Raglan's second wife. No one in the house could imagine how Grumpy had managed to secure even one spouse. Mrs.

Raglan occasionally r99 indicated by the subtlest of sighs and silences that she shared something of their incredulity at her fate.

As part of his duties as house captain, William was required to report to Grumpy Raglan every night at ten thirty when he had completed the lights - out round and was about to go to bed himself. One Monday evening, when he knocked on Grumpy's door as usual, he was surprised to hear Mrs.