him in. If she talked of the
poem as the devotion of Decius, he was willing enough, and worked with
spirit, for he liked the ideas, and enjoyed the expressing them, and
trying to bring his lines to his notion of perfection, but if she called
it the "Newdigate," or the "Prize Poem," and declared herself sure it
would be successful, he yawned, slackened, leaned back in his chair,
and began to read other people's poetry, which Ethel was disrespectful
enough not to think nearly as good as his own.

It was completed at last, and Ethel stitched it up with a narrow red and
white ribbon--the Balliol colours; and set Meta at him till a promise
was extorted that he would send it in.

And, in due time, Ethel received the following note:

"My Dear Ethel,--

"My peacock bubble has flown over the house.
Tell them all about it.

Your affectionate,
N. W. M."

They were too much accustomed to Norman's successes to be
extraordinarily excited; Ethel would have been much mortified if the
prize had been awarded to any one else, but, as it was, it came rather
as a matter of course. The doctor was greatly pleased, and said he
should drive round by Abbotstoke to tell the news there, and then
laughed beyond measure to hear that Meta had been in the plot, saying
he should accuse the little humming-bird of being a magpie, stealing
secrets.

By this time the bride and bridegroom were writing that they thought of
soon returning; they had spent the early spring at Paris, had wandered
about in the south of France, and now were at Paris again. Flora's
letters were long, descriptive, and affectionate, and she was eager to
be kept fully informed of everything at home. As soon as she heard of
Norman's success, she wrote a whole budget of letters, declaring that
she and George would hear of no refusal; they were going to spend a
fortnight at Oxford for the Commemoration, and must have Meta and Ethel
with them to hear Norman's poem in the theatre.

Dr. May, who already had expressed a hankering to run up for the day and
take Ethel with him, was perfectly delighted at the proposal, and so was
Mr. Rivers, but the young ladies made many demurs. Ethel wanted Mary to
go in her stead, and had to be told that this would not be by any means
the same to the other parties--she could not bear to leave Margaret; it
was a long time since there had been letters from the Alcestis, and she
did not like to miss being