p to the business; they had done it before; they knew how
essential it was to engage half a dozen cabs off different parts of the
rank, so as to be sure of getting one; and, not for the first time in
their lives they "bagged" three or four porters in advance with a
similar object.

The platform, as usual, was full of Courtiers waiting for their
"people," and many was the passage of arms our Shell-fish engaged in to
beguile the time.

"Hullo! here's a lark," said Arthur, presently, when the arrival bell
had just sounded, "here's Marky--do you see him? I say! won't he blush
when Daisy goes and kisses him before all the fellows!"

"Look out," said the baronet, "here comes the scrimmage."

The train was steaming into the station, and as usual the boys all along
the platform began to run; and woe betide those who either did not run
too, or were not lucky enough to get a perch on the footboard.

Our young gentlemen were far too knowing to suffer disadvantage through
neglect of one or another of these simple expedients.

"Here they are!" yelled Arthur, waving to his chum; "spotted them first
shot! Go on, Simson, cut your sticks off this step; these are all my
people in here. How are you? Dig's here; we've got a cab. Fetch up
some of our porters, Dig, I say."

Amid such effusive greetings Mr and Mrs Herapath and Miss Daisy
Herapath alighted and fell into the arms--or rather, civilly shook hands
with their son.

"Hullo, Daisy! Marky's here. There he comes. Here she is, Mr
Railsford; here's Daisy! I say, Daisy," added he, in a confidential
whisper, "you'd better not kiss him before all the fellows. Wait till
you get up to our study."

Railsford arrived before this piece of fraternal counsel was ended, and
solved the difficulty by quietly shaking hands all round, and asking
Mrs Herapath if she had had a comfortable journey.

Arthur had the mortification of seeing five out of his six cabs drive
gaily off under his very nose with other fellows' people inside; and his
temper was also further ruffled when all his porters waited on him at
the door of the sixth for their fee; however, he had the presence of
mind to tell them to wait till he came back in the evening, and then,
slamming the cab door, hopped up on the box beside the driver--no
Grandcourt boy had ever been known to ride inside a four-wheeler with
his people--and drove off.

It was a gay scene in the great quadrangle that summer morning--fathers,
moth