Thecousinshadmetbuttwice，Jolly，thesecond-yearman，havinginvitedthefreshmantobreakfast；andlasteveningtheyhadseeneachotheragainundersomewhatexoticcircumstances。
Overatailor’sintheCornmarketresidedoneofthoseprivilegedyoungbeingscalledminors，whoseinheritancesarelarge，whoseparentsaredead，whoseguardiansareremote，andwhoseinstinctsarevicious。Atnineteenhehadcommencedoneofthosecareersattractiveandinexplicabletoordinarymortalsforwhomasinglebankruptcyisgoodasafeast。AlreadyfamousforhavingtheonlyroulettetablethentobefoundinOxford，hewasanticipatinghisexpectationsatadazzlingrate。Heout-crummedCrum，thoughofasanguineandratherbeefytypewhichlackedthelatter’sfascinatinglanguor。ForValithadbeeninthenatureofbaptismtobetakentheretoplayroulette；inthenatureofconfirmationtogetbackintocollege，afterhours，throughawindowwhosebarsweredeceptive。Once，duringthateveningofdelight，glancingupfromtheseductivegreenbeforehim，hehadcaughtsight，throughacloudofsmoke，ofhiscousinstandingopposite。’Rougegagne，impair，etmanque！’Hehadnotseenhimagain。”ComeintotheFrying-panandhavetea，”saidJolly，andtheywentin。
Astranger，seeingthemtogether，wouldhavenoticedanunseizableresemblancebetweenthesesecondcousinsofthethirdgenerationsofForsytes；thesameboneformationinface，thoughJolly’seyesweredarkergrey，hishairlighterandmorewavy。”Teaandbutteredbuns，waiter，please，”saidJolly。”Haveoneofmycigarettes?”saidVal。”Isawyoulastnight。Howdidyoudo?””Ididn’tplay。””Iwonfifteenquid。”
Thoughdesirousofrepeatingawhimsicalcommentongamblinghehadonceheardhisfathermake——’Whenyou’refleecedyou’resick，andwhenyoufleeceyou’resorry——Jollycontentedhimselfwith：”Rottengame，Ithink；Iwasatschoolwiththatchap。He’sanawfulfool。””Oh！Idon’tknow，”saidVal，asonemightspeakindefenceofadisparagedgod；”he’saprettygoodsport。”
Theyexchangedwhiffsinsilence。”Youmetmypeople，didn’tyou?”saidJolly。”They’recomingupto-morrow。”