g
been children, and if she lived to be a hundred years old and kept all
her faculties she would never understand what a peculiar mixture makes
up life at Oxford. I did not tell her about the bonfire which we had
in the back quad after supper, because I am sure she would have thought
that either I was lying or that most of the men in St. Cuthbert's were
a set of lunatics.

Two or three dons, who could appreciate festivities, danced round the
bonfire quite happily, and evidently enjoyed themselves. They were
very popular; too much so possibly for their own comfort, for one of
them who was, except on especial occasions, a most prim and proper
person, was seized by a man, who looked upon him as his very dearest
friend, and carried round the bonfire at galloping pace. After that
the dons disappeared and we had a dance in the hall. I should think
the band must have been as keen on exercise as we were, for the music
got faster and faster as the evening went on, and it was impossible to
keep time, but that did not matter. In our battels at the end of the
week we were all charged half-a-crown for refreshing the band, so that
they could not have gone away hungry--or thirsty.

An outburst of this kind is something more than a custom honoured by
time, for it clears the air and you can settle down afterwards quite
easily. I had smuggled myself into the festivities which other
colleges had given, but I had never enjoyed myself half as much as I
did at our own. We had done something at last which was worth a
bonfire, and a bonfire with no one to dance round it has never yet been
lighted in an Oxford quad.

The Bradder thought that our supper had gone off very well, although he
had seen one of his fellow-dons treated too affectionately, and had
rescued him. But he knew such things did not really mean anything, for
you can't expect men who have just come out of strict training to
behave quite like ordinary mortals.

I wanted to fish during the Easter vac, but my vacs were beginning to
get out of hand, for make what plans I would--and I made very pleasant
ones--somebody was always at work to upset them. I meant to take Fred
home with me and play cricket in a net if the weather was warm, and
fish a little stream near us, but the Bishop had found something else
for me to do, and my schemes came to nothing. At the end of the term I
only went home for two days, and then had to start off on a tutorship.
It is no use pretending