[9]Despitebeingwrongfullyaddressed (Faulknerhadprecededhiminhispost), DixonknewwhatWelchmeant, ? Themostlikelything, healwaysthought, , ayoungishex-FellowofaCambridgecollege, hadbeenstandingonthefrontstepswhenDixon, comingroundthecornerfromthelibrary, , Dixonhadwatchedinterrifiedamazement; ithadbeenuselesstorun, ’dturnedandbeguntowalkdownthedrive, butknewwellenoughthathewastheonlyvisibleentitycapableofstone- , he’dwantedtoapologizebuthadfound, ’dfoundthesamewhen, twodayslater, he’dbeenpassingbehindtheRegistrar’schairatthefirstFacultymeeting, ’sClerkhadavertedcompletedisaster, buthecouldstillrememberthelookonthefaceofthatfigure, ’dbeenthatessaywrittenforWelchbyoneoftheHonorspeople, containing, infactconsistingof, abuseofabookonenclosuresby, ittranspired, oneofWelch’sownex-pupils.‘Iaskedhimwhocouldpossiblyhavefilledhisheadwithstufflikethat, yousee, andhesaiditwasalloutofoneofyourlectures, , ItoldhimastactfullyasIcould...’MuchlaterDixonhadfoundoutthatthebookinquestionhadbeenwrittenatWelch’ssuggestionand, inpart, , butDixon, whosepolicyitwastoreadaslittleaspossibleofanygivenbook, neverbotheredwiththese, andithadbeenMargaretwho’, asnearashecouldremember, onthemorningbeforetheeveningwhenMargarethadtriedtokillherselfwithsleeping-pills.
