shyness and awe of the Lord's men, as they crossed hands and
capered about on the grass together; for the strangers entered into it
all, and threw away their cigars, and danced and shouted like boys;
while old Mr. Aislabie stood by looking on in his white hat, leaning on
a bat, in benevolent enjoyment. "This hop will be worth thirty runs to
us to-morrow, and will be the making of Raggles and Johnson," thinks the
young leader, as he revolves many things in his mind, standing by the
side of Mr. Aislabie, whom he will not leave for a minute, for he feels
that the character of the School for courtesy is resting on his
shoulders.

But when a quarter-to-nine struck, and he saw old Thomas beginning to
fidget about with the keys in his hand, he thought of the Doctor's
parting monition, and stopped the cornopean at once, notwithstanding the
loud-voiced remonstrances from all sides; and the crowd scattered away
from the close, the eleven all going into the School-house, where supper
and beds were provided for them by the Doctor's orders.

Deep had been the consultations at supper as to the order of going in,
who should bowl the first over, whether it would be best to play steady
or freely; and the youngest hands declared that they shouldn't be a bit
nervous, and praised their opponents as the jolliest fellows in the
world, except perhaps their old friends the Wellesburn men. How far a
little good-nature from their elders will go with the right sort of
boys!

The morning had dawned bright and warm, to the intense relief of many an
anxious youngster, up betimes to mark the signs of the weather. The
eleven went down in a body before breakfast, for a plunge in the cold
bath in the corner of the close. The ground was in splendid order, and
soon after ten o'clock, before spectators had arrived, all was ready,
and two of the Lord's men took their places at the wicket; the School,
with the usual liberality of young hands, having put their adversaries
in first. Old Bailey stepped up to the wicket, and called play, and the
match has begun.

* * * * *

"Oh, well bowled! well bowled, Johnson!" cries the captain, catching up
the ball and sending it high above the rook trees, while the third
Marylebone man walks away from the wicket, and old Bailey gravely sets
up the middle stump again and puts the bails on.

"How many runs?" Away scamper three boys to the scoring-table, and are
back again in a minute amo