tremendous pace, and it was difficult to make every one believe that I
had never meant to buy the horse, and that as soon as I had bought him
my one desire was to get rid of him. I found out afterwards that the
Warden only told my uncle because he thought the tale would amuse him,
but apparently he expressed himself in such very curious language that
he gave the impression of being annoyed. After I had soothed my people
the Bishop wrote to me that the turf had been the ruin of many young
men, but when I thought of the part I had played upon it I came to the
conclusion that I was not likely to be added to the number. My uncle
referred to racing as "a fascinating and very expensive pleasure," and
I assured him that I had not found it fascinating, and that my
experience had cost me eighteen-pence, the cheapness of which he had to
admit. I am glad that I added up my expenses, for that eighteen-pence
was very useful, it was such a delightfully ridiculous sum to brandish
at any one who thought that I was trotting down the road to perdition.

During the rest of the term we were very quiet in St. Cuthbert's. I
was able to play rugger for the college in nearly every match, for my
days in the 'Varsity fifteen had ended. Hogan was better than ever,
while I had fallen away to the kind of man who Blackheath ask to play
for them when half their team are crocked and the other half have
influenza. I did not mind, however, for our college fifteen was only
beaten by Trinity and Keble, and our soccer team, chiefly owing to
three or four freshers, was also much better than it had been for years.

Things were improving all round, and Jack's energy was almost
exhausting to those who watched it. He seemed to me to be hunting for
societies to join, and he went round sampling them and finding out that
they did not suit him. Bunny Langham succeeded in getting himself
elected Secretary of the Union, and he told me that he was going to
have several cabinet ministers down to speak in the following term, and
should give them a jolly good dinner. He asked Jack and me to meet
them, but only one of them came, and he did not dine with Bunny. His
father, who was in the Government and held the record for the number of
speeches he had made in the House of Lords, came down once and wanted
to come again, but he spoke for such a tremendously long time that
Bunny declared that he should give up all hopes of being elected
President if he ever came ag