"I tell you what, Dick; while it's going on, you and I can get the top court and play off our heat for the handicap.

What do you say ?" "Don't know." Whereupon, Heathcote wished that two words in the English language could be suspended, and went off to see if any comfort was going in the Den.
But no.
"What's Dick going to do ?" asked almost everybody.
"He doesn't know," groaned Heathcote.
Whereupon, the Den, as well as Georgie, wished ill to those two unlucky words.
The morning passed, and still no ray of light illumined the doubters.
Dick got twenty lines from Pledge for jumping over the geranium bed in the Quad, and knocking off a flower in the act; and every one guessed this would decide him against the levee.
But at dinner-time a rumour spread, on the authority of Coote, that he had put on a clean collar since morning school, and public opinion immediately veered round to the opposite direction.

No sooner, however, was dinner done than he was seen to fetch his tennis racket from his study; and once more it was surmised that he was going, after all, to play off his heat with Georgie instead of attending the ceremony.

And that supposition was in turn dashed to the ground, when it was discovered that he had got the bat in order to give it to a messenger from Splicers, the racket maker, to be tightened up in the top cord.
Afternoon school dragged tediously on, and the Den grew desperate.
Fellows went off to dress.

But what was the use of Heathcote putting on his choker, or Smith and Pauncefote parting their hairs, when they didn't know whether they were going to the levee or not?
Heathcote made one final effort to "draw" the Sphinx.
"Come on," said he, "we'll bag the court if we are sharp, and get an hour's quiet play." "I've got no racket," said Dick.
"I say, Dick, _are_ you going to the levee--do tell us ?" "I don't know.