s the eleven and half a dozen of the Wellesburn and Marylebone men
got partners somehow or another, and a merry country-dance was going on,
to which every one flocked, and new couples joined in every minute, till
there were a hundred of them going down the middle and up again; and the
long line of school buildings looked gravely down on them, every window
glowing with the last rays of the western sun; and the rooks clanged
about in the tops of the old elms, greatly excited, and resolved on
having their country-dance too; and the great flag flapped lazily in the
gentle western breeze. Altogether it was a sight which would have made
glad the heart of our brave old founder, Lawrence Sheriff, if he were
half as good a fellow as I take him to have been. It was a cheerful
sight to see. But what made it so valuable in the sight of the captain
of the School eleven was that he there saw his young hands shaking
off their shyness and awe of the Lord's men, as they crossed hands and
capered about on the grass together; for the strangers entered into
it all, and threw away their cigars, and danced and shouted like boys;
while old Mr. Aislabie stood by looking on in his white hat, leaning on
a bat, in benevolent enjoyment. "This hop will be worth thirty runs to
us to-morrow, and will be the making of Raggles and Johnson," thinks the
young leader, as he revolves many things in his mind, standing by the
side of Mr. Aislabie, whom he will not leave for a minute, for he
feels that the character of the School for courtesy is resting on his
shoulders.

But when a quarter to nine struck, and he saw old Thomas beginning
to fidget about with the keys in his hand, he thought of the Doctor's
parting monition, and stopped the cornopean at once, notwithstanding the
loud-voiced remonstrances from all sides; and the crowd scattered away
from the close, the eleven all going into the School-house, where supper
and beds were provided for them by the Doctor's orders.

Deep had been the consultations at supper as to the order of going in,
who should bowl the first over, whether it would be best to play steady
or freely; and the youngest hands declared that they shouldn't be a
bit nervous, and praised their opponents as the jolliest fellows in the
world, except perhaps their old friends the Wellesburn men. How far
a little good-nature from their elders will go with the right sort of
boys!

The morning had dawned bright and warm, to the intense relief o