ar as he
was in sight. He then folded it up and placed it in his pocket, and
when he was in any doubt as to the way, asked the first person he met.

Mr. Lenox and Mr. Scott were both there in time to see the start of the
Slowcoach, as they had decided to call it. Also present at the start
was the greater part of adult Chiswick and all its children, who filled
the street opposite "The Gables" and cheered. Kink accepted their
enthusiasm with calm, but as he said afterwards to Collins, "I felt
like the Prince of Wales and all the royal family."

Both Mr. Scott and Mr. Lenox brought contributions to the Slowcoach's
stores. Mr. Scott's was a large bundle of firelighters and twelve dozen
boxes of matches. "You can't have too many matches," he said. Mr.
Lenox's was ointment for blisters.

Uncle Christopher was also there to see the start, and he brought with
him an envelope. "This envelope," he said, "is not to be opened unless
you're in any very serious difficulty. Then open it."

And so, in a scene of wild excitement, Kink cracked his whip, Moses
strained at the collar, the Slowcoach creaked heavily out of the yard,
and its historic journey was begun.

CHAPTER 7

MR. LENOX'S YOUNG BROTHER

Mr. Lenox's young brother met the party on the Oxford platform. He was
accompanied by two of his friends, who were dressed in grey flannels
and straw hats, and were smoking very large and beautiful pipes. Mr.
Lenox's young brother introduced these friends as Fizzy and Shrimp, and
then they packed themselves into three hansoms and drove off.

Mr. Lenox's young brother led the way with Janet and Mary. Fizzy (at
least, Hester thought it was Fizzy, but it may have been Shrimp) came
next with Hester, Horace, and Gregory; and then came Shrimp (unless it
was Fizzy) with Robert and Jack.

Oxford hansoms are the worst in the world, but seldom has a ride been
more delightful. The three hosts pointed out the colleges as they
passed, until they came, far too soon, to the Mitre, where they were to
sleep.

"Now take your things upstairs and make sure where your rooms are, and
tidy up if you want to," said Mr. Lenox's young brother, "and then hop
down, and we'll take you to see the caravan, and show you about a
little, and perhaps go on the river; and in the evening we're going to
have supper in my rooms. Fizzy's going to conjure, and perhaps we'll
have charades."

These words made tidying up an even simpler matter than usual, and the