"It might be just as beautiful in its own way, here, as we found ityesterday, out there," returned Randolph. "I've asked my brother-in-law, Idon't know how many times, why they can't do much better by this unfortunatecampus and bring it all up to a reasonable level of seemliness. But----"

"You have a relative among the----?"

"Yes, my sister's husband is one of the College trustees. But he livesmiles from this spot and hardly ever sees it. Besides, his aestheticendowments are not beyond those of the average university trustee.Sometimes they're as hard on Beauty as they are on Free Speech."

"I look at they're hard on beauty; and I may live to find free speech mauled,too."

"Well, you're not in Sociology or Economics. Still, don't trifle with along-established aesthetic idol either. Trustees--and department heads--areconservative."

"0h, you mean about----?"

"About your immortal William. He wrote them. Don't try to rob him. Don'ttry to knock him off his pedestal."

"0h, you're thinking about my thesis. What I exclaimed about Warwickshire wasjust a little flight of fancy, I guess,--a bit of doorstep travel. I'mlikely enough to stay where I am."

"Well, how about the thesis, really?"

"I think I shall end by digging something out of Here and Now. '0ur Middle-West School of Fiction,'--what would you think of that?"