ain. In that way she hopes to avoid
the most serious consequences. Your sister thinks it rather a good
joke; I hope she won't catch a bad cold."

"You had better go and change," I said, and I asked Fred if he would
come to the Rudolf, but he said that it was no use for him to go if
Mrs. Faulkner and Nina were in bed, and that he would meet me at the
station. Then I said something to Jack about it being awfully good of
him to have jumped into the "Cher" to fish Nina out, but I was very
glad when he asked me to shut up, for Fred was looking more gloomy than
ever, and I am sure that he, having seen Nina swimming heaps of times,
thought the whole thing was thoroughly stupid. I did not quite know
what to think about it, but I wished most sincerely that Nina had never
tried to punt.

Fred walked with me for a short way down the Broad, but stopped by
Balliol, and said he was going in to see a man.

"This affair is a horrid nuisance," I remarked.

"Nina wouldn't drown very easily," he returned.

"But she had a long dress on," and of this remark Fred took no notice.

"I don't think I shall come down to the station," he said; "will you
wish Mrs. Faulkner and Nina good-bye from me?"

"No, I won't," I replied, and we stared at each other so hard that we
were nearly run over by a cab; "you must come, do come to please me."

"You do such a precious lot to make me want to please you," he
retorted, and he looked most desperately down on his luck.

"Do forget all about this afternoon. I didn't mean one word I said."

"You said a precious lot. I'll come all right, but they won't want to
see me," and he walked off before I could tell him that they had better
want to see him, or I would have even another row.

When I got to the Rudolf I sent up a card to Nina on which I wrote
something which at the moment I thought funny. But she did not seem to
see the humour of it, for she sent me down an angry little note in
which she told me to go away and meet her at four o'clock. I went away
sorrowfully, for there was a sense of importance about that note which
told me that Nina was not going to tumble into the Cher for nothing,
and I knew I should hear more than enough about it before long.

But I did not think that I should be made to suffer until I got to the
station. But when your luck is dead out it is wise to be prepared for
anything.

I strolled aimlessly down the Corn-market, and having nothing whatever
to do, I turned