d to be to prevent the boats next in the line from starting at all.
It was a general fouling-match, and the jabbering was terrific. At last,
the two outside boats, having the advantage of a clear berth on one
side, got away, and made a pretty race of it, followed by such of the
rest as could by degrees extricate themselves from the melee.

But now was to come our turn. Laden with all manner of good wishes, we
hoisted a bit of dark-blue silk for the honour of Oxford, and spurted
under the terrace to our starting-place. The only boat entered against
us was the Dolphin, containing three stout gentlemen and a thin one,
members of the B---- Cutter Club, who evidently looked upon pulling as
no joke. Branling gave us a steady stroke, and Cotton of Baliol steered
us admirably; the rest did as well as they could. The old boys had a
very pretty boat--ours was a tub--but we beat them. They gave us a
stern-chase for the first hundred yards, for I cut a crab at starting;
but we had plenty of pluck, and came in winners by a length. Of course
we were the favourites--the "Dolphins" were all but one married--and
hearty were the congratulations with which we were greeted on landing.
Clara Phillips's eyes had a most dangerous light in them, as she shook
hands with our noble captain, who was in a terrible hurry, however, to
get away, and hunting everywhere for "that d----d Dawson," who had
promised to have Bill Thomas in readiness with "the lush." So I was
compelled to stay with her and give an account of the race, which she
perfectly understood, and be soundly scolded by the prettiest lips in
the world for my awkwardness, which she declared she never could have
forgiven if it had lost the race.

"You will come to the ball, then, Mr Hawthorne?"

"Am I not to dance with you?"

"Yes, if you behave well, and don't tease Mr Sydney Dawson: he is a
great favourite of mine, and took great care of me this morning at
breakfast."

"Well, then, for your sake, Miss Phillips, I will be particularly civil
to him; but I assure you, Dawson is like the fox that took a pride in
being hunted; he considers our persecution of him as the strongest
evidence of his own superiority; and if you seriously undertake to
patronise him, he will become positively unbearable."

The regatta over, we retired to make a hurried dinner, and to dress
for the ball. This, with some of our party, was a serious business.
Willingham and Dawson were going in fancy dresses. The