as Captain
of the 'Varsity XI., and was also so popular that during the next few
weeks he was bound to have plenty of opportunities for thinking of
anything but economy. Besides, this money had been at times a load on
my conscience. Economy, either practical or political, has never been
a strong point of mine, but I often regretted that I had during my
first two years bought a number of things which were more or less
useless, because I was not compelled to pay for them at the moment. My
difficulties were not overwhelming but they were a nuisance, until the
Bishop, who knew both Oxford and me by heart, solved them by giving me
a birthday present. Every one, however, has not got a convenient
uncle, and without his present I should, owing to the recklessness of
my first two years, have been compelled to leave Oxford with bills
unpaid, and the prospect of a stormy interview with my father in front
of me. I was so genuinely fond of Oxford, and there are so many
pleasant things to do there, that I should have been very sorry to
leave it with anything hanging over me.

Fast bowlers, both good and bad, were scarce during the whole time I
was up, and I was not altogether surprised when Fred chose me to play
in the Seniors' Match. In that game I succeeded in getting a few
wickets, and soon afterwards I got my Harlequin cap, which pleased me
hugely. I am sure that had I not been such an outrageously bad
batsman, Fred would have liked to try me for the 'Varsity, but there
happened to be another man who did not bowl any worse than I did and
who batted much better. So I was left to bowl for the college, and I
was not altogether sorry, for if Fred had yielded to his feelings and
given me a trial a lot of men would have said it was a swindle. There
are a number of people in Oxford who spend their time in looking out
for swindles, and of all things in the world they seem to be the
easiest to find. In Fred's case, however, I should have had a much
better chance of playing if I had not been one of his greatest friends,
for he was the very last man to turn his eleven into a sort of family
party.

Our eight expected to make seven bumps, and succeeded in making five of
them, with which Jack, who rowed six, pretended to be discontented.
But we celebrated those five bumps all right, and altogether the
college was a splendid place to live in. I stayed in bed much later
than usual on the morning after our second celebration, and I s