And then it seems that Eric's affairs were mixed up with another young man's, Edgar Brown, a very wild young fellow, with whom Giles had forbidden Eric to associate.

They had been school-fellows, and Giles knew his father, Dr.Brown, and disliked him much; and it seems that Eric had promised to break with him, and had not kept his promise; and when Giles called him mean and dishonourable, Eric had forgotten himself, and struck Giles.
'"It is all over between us, I tell you, Gladys," the poor boy kept saying.

"Giles says he shall take me away from Oxford, and I am to be put in an attorney's office: he declares I shall ruin him.

I cannot stop here to be tormented and bullied, and I will never go near old Armstrong: why, the life would be worse than a convict's.

I shall just go and enlist, and then there is a chance of getting rid of this miserable life." But I did not take much notice of this speech, for I knew Eric had no wish to enter the army; and certainly he would never do such a rash thing as enlist: he always declared he would as soon be a shoeblack.