For an hour he forgot his troubles in performing stunts to the envious appreciation of the others in the pool.
Applause was grateful to him that afternoon, and when he had dressed himself again and, avoiding the room, had gone across to Wendell to wait for the doors to open for supper, he felt better.

Perhaps, he told himself, Tom really didn't know anything about that plaguey book, but even so he needn't get so cocky about it! Besides, someone must have put the book on their table and--well, the evidence was certainly against Tom! It wasn't much fun eating supper with Tom at his elbow as grim and stiff as a plaster statue.

Fortunately, Steve was well into his meal before Tom came in, and meanwhile there were others of the second team to talk to if he wanted.

With no Tom to converse with he found it difficult to persist in his role of haughty indifference toward the others.
Besides--and it came to him with rather a shock--what they thought of him was no more than he had been thinking of Tom! Hang it, it was all pretty rotten! He'd like to choke Eric Sawyer! It didn't take the rest of the fellows at the training table long to make the discovery that the two friends were at outs.

Trow, a pale-faced, shock-haired chap, took delight in trying to engage them both in conversation at the same time, thereby increasing the embarrassment.