If a group of them should be seen by him laughing and talking, he instinctively concluded their topic must be ribaldry, whereas they would perhaps be only joking at the expense of some eccentric professor, or else chaffing one of their own number.

And so it happened that Tom failed in time to distinguish between the really bad and such as he only imagined to be bad; and from his habit of looking on at them and their doings from a studied distance, their presence began gradually and insensibly to exercise a very considerable influence over his mind.
"After all," he would sometimes say to himself, "these fellows get on.
They pass their exams, they pay their bills, they gain the confidence of their professors, and at the same time they manage to enjoy themselves.
Perhaps I am a fool to take so much pains about the first three of these things, and to deny myself the fourth.

Perhaps, after all, these fellows are not so bad as I have fancied, or perhaps I am prudish." And then the silly fellow, having once inclined to admit there was something to be said for medical students, and having before considered all bad alike, became tolerant all round, more particularly of the really bad set, who appeared to him to enjoy themselves the most.
As his companions became more attractive to him, his work became less interesting.
"Why should I grind and plod here," he said, "while every one else is enjoying himself?
If young Charlie were here, I'm pretty sure _he'd_ be in for some of their sprees, and laugh at me for wearing my eyes out as I'm doing." And then he leaned back in his chair and took to wondering what the six fellows who started that afternoon for Richmond were doing.

Smashing the windows of the "Star and Garter," perhaps, or fighting the bargees on the river, or capturing a four-in-hand drag, or disporting themselves in some such genial and truly English manner.

And as Tom conjured up the picture he half envied them their sport.
So he gradually became restless and discontented.