Malcolm's approval was vitally necessary to her happiness--a chilling word from him had power to spoil the fairest landscape and blot out the sunshine; nevertheless she took her rebuff meekly and without retort.
A mere chance, an accident in the destinies of both men, had brought about this acquaintance between Malcolm Herrick and Cedric Templeton.
The vice-president of Magdalene was an old friend of the Herrick family, and was indeed distantly related to Mrs.Herrick; and after Malcolm had taken his degree and left Lincoln, he often spent a week or two with Dr.Medcalf.He was an old bachelor, and one of the most sociable of men, and his rooms were the envy of his friends.

Malcolm was a great favourite with him, and was always welcome when he could spare time to run down for a brief visit.
About two years before, he was spending a few days with his friend, when one evening as he was strolling down Addison's Walk in the gloaming, his attention was attracted by a young undergraduate.

He was seated on a bench with his head in his hands; but at the sound of passing footsteps he moved slightly, and Malcolm caught sight of a white boyish face and haggard eyes that looked at him a little wildly; then he covered his face again.

Malcolm walked on a few steps; his kind heart was shocked at the lad's evident misery, but to his reserved nature it was never easy to make the first advance; indeed, he often remarked that he had rather a fellow-feeling with the Levite who passed by on the other side.
"I daresay he was sorry for the poor traveller in his heart," he observed, "but it takes a deal of moral courage to be a Good Samaritan; it is not easy for a shy man, for example, to render first aid to a poor chap with a fractured limb in the middle of a crowd of sympathising bystanders--one's self-consciousness and British hatred of a scene seem to choke one off." So, true to his diffident nature, Malcolm walked to the other end of Addison's Walk; then something seemed to drag at him, and he retraced his steps slowly and reluctantly; finally, as though constrained by some unseen power that overmastered his reserve, he sat down on the bench and touched the youth lightly on the arm.
"You are in trouble, I fear; is there anything I can do to help you ?" The words were simple almost to bluntness, but they were none the worse for that, for they rang true from a good heart.
Malcolm's voice was pleasant; when he chose, it could be both winning and persuasive; to the lad sitting there in the Egyptian darkness of a terrifying despair, it sounded honey-sweet.

He put out a hot hand to his new friend, and then broke into a fit of tears and sobs.