This young curate, the Rev.Wilfred Somerset, recently of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, had but two ideas in his head--the noble game of cricket and the jolly qualities of Mr.
Surtees's novels.

He was stout and strong, red-faced, and thick in the leg, always smoking a largo black-looking pipe, and wearing trousers very short and tight.

He did not strike Jeremy with fear, but he was, nevertheless, an influence.

Jeremy, apparently, amused him intensely.

He would roar with laughter at nothing at all, smack his thigh and shout, "Good for you, young 'un," whatever that might mean, and Jeremy, gazing at him, at his pipe and his trousers, liking him rather, but not sufficiently in awe to be really impressed, would ask him questions that seemed to him perfectly simple and natural, but that, nevertheless, amused the Rev.Wilfred so fundamentally that he was unable to give them an intelligible answer.
Undoubtedly this encouraged Jeremy's independence.
He walked to and fro the curate's lodging by himself, and was able to observe many interesting things on the way.