66

and the candles burnt down," I suggested. That's what usually happens with these night students."

re

"Nothing of the sort! plied Simpson sharply. "Mrs Trent couldn't do anything according to the usual." Then his tone suddenly changed. "Begging your pardon, Mr Gresham, sir, what I mean to say is, Mrs Trent left her room, left the door open too, which, with the window open as well, makes a considerable draught, and the curtains of that bed were nothing more than muslinlike, with strips of thin stuff that could easily move in a draught. Well, she went downstairs and into the morningroom; I suppose she was wanting a book or some rubbish from there. But she didn't go back, just lay down on the lounge, and rolled herself up in the silk rugs and cushions lying round the room, and there she stayed, and there she slept. Mind you, sir, a person that can't rest in their own bed, or let anybody else rest either, but to go and drop down and curl up anywhere like a dog, and that's when they can sleep, when they've just set the house in flames above their 'ead, and above everybody else's 'ead too."

Simpson was embittered. He must have been very cold by this time. I was fairly petrified myself, but I knew we should soon be back.

"I told Mrs Hawkins for fear the master should go looking for her."

But, Simpson, I don't see how you know about the candles" I began. "I

"Didn't Mrs Hawkins come to me the last thing in the evening for that branch-candlestick, and on purpose for reading at night, she said? I always found the twelve hours of a day time enough for reading myself; but then I'm an idle man, to be sure."

We turned in at the gate, and went round to the garage to put up the car. Smoke was still puffing out and hanging heavily round the house, and by the glare from inside I could see a hole right through the roof. As we hurried off after putting in the car, I saw a light under a door somewhere in the stables, and turned back again to investigate it. The light came from a lantern placed on the ground, and inside the door. It shone full in the face of a little brown donkey, which, with lowered head and feet firmly planted, was stoutly refusing to move an inch, though dragged at with might and main by Patsy, who had put on the bridle, and with set teeth was bending all her strength against the donkey's, in a vain attempt to lead him out.

"He's my donkey, and I won't have him burnt dead," she said through her teeth.

"That's all right, but he's

as I picked it up. now, and we'll get the engine to take charge of the stable. You must explain to the firemen just where the donkey lives."

She seemed to see the sense of that, and came after me without delay.

The house, when I got back to it, was no longer dark. They had evidently turned on all the light they could. The hall was bright, and there was a sort of crowd in the drawingroom. All the maids were in there, half-frightened, half-excited, bustling about doing nothing. Hilda was spread out on a long couch in a conspicuous state of collapse, with two of them holding smellingsalts to her nose. She was absolutely useless. But where was David?

"Oh, you dreadful child!" was the cry raised as they caught sight of Patsy following me in. "Wherever did you go and hide yourself? And now the master has gone looking for you upstairs again, and wouldn't believe you had come down safe, when we couldn't find you anywhere."

They made a sort of scolding circle round the child, who looked at them defiantly, and said nothing. Hawkins came up to me as Simpson ran from the room.

"Mr Gresham, I woke up the child, and brought her downstairs myself," she said earnestly. "But we couldn't find her anywhere, and then he wouldn't believe but what she

Plainly enough Hilda was in hysterics, but it was the last thing I wanted to see for myself.

"I'll find him," I said. "I'll have him down in no time—

Steps sounded at the door, heavy and measured steps, as of men carrying a weight.

on,

"In there, straight please!" said Simpson's voice, and two men of the fire-brigade came in, carrying David, white and perfectly unconscious, between them. They laid him down gently, but lost no time.

"Found him in the passage, lying face to the ground, overcome with the smoke, like; it was thick enough. We nearly stepped on him, but the little dog growled, he did" And they were gone on the instant back to their work.

Poor little Dandy stuck close to David. I tried to feel his pulse, then his heart; it was barely perceptible.

66 Fetch some brandy," I said to Simpson. "Don't leave him a minute. I'll take the car out again and bring the doctor."

I believe I got that doctor to his side in about twenty minutes. I knew where he lived. It was not ten miles away; and he brought some medicine along with him after I had explained what he was wanted for.

"It's probably just a faint," he said, as we streaked along

He did see, but he made no pretence of giving any help. David was just breathing when we got back. He opened his eyes once, but I don't think he knew me. He never spoke again.

So this ends the incident, but it leaves everything unfinished.

I don't presume to understand the real connections that I suppose existed between us all. I only know I have lost my friend, and he had lost

worth living before he went. I can't understand why I was sent back to him on his last day, as it wasn't in time for me to be of any use; or why all her little world is compassionating Hilda now, or why Patsy deserves such bitter blame for having run to the rescue of her donkey, the only natural, decent, child-like act I ever knew her to do.

Well, as somebody has remarked before, "There is a certain left-handedness in human affairs." I am taking the little dog Dandy away with me.

pounding the river map, making a sail with an umbrella, and holding on to chains at the sides of locks.

66

G. allowed," as America says, that we should reach our destination in little more than two days, provided we left Oxford early. We decided simply to "stay put" when night fell, and sleep in the punt itself. We rejected the idea of carrying a tent or awning with us. "Impedimentis relictis " was the phrase of Cæsar that really appealed to me at school as both admirable in sentiment and easy of translation.

I took a beloved Jaeger flea-bag which had been twice to France in the war, and bears, not exactly a wound stripe, but a no less honourable patch where it caught fire in a motor-lorry. It would take real gold sovereigns to buy it from me. With this and rugs and the usual flat punt cushions-but I dislike people who tell you exactly what they consider essential for such adventures, and also how superbly they dealt with the packing of it. Having said which I will promptly follow their lead and boast (for my own sex only) that I took with me a dress and hat "for regatta wear," and that they rolled up as a scroll after the neat fashion of the heavens in the Apocalypse, and appeared fresh as daisies when required. May woman never again become voluminous as to garments.

Confound clothes, says some rude man (not my brother,

whom I remember sobbing himself sick at the age of three because sent into our London Square in what he considered an outworn hat). "What did you do about meals? I have ere this implied that G. and I see eye to eye on many points. One of these is a determination not to let Fate drive us into cooking for ourselves, if possible, still less into spoiling the harmony of our fraternal relationship by cooking for each other. Meals on shore, then, in the packed riverside inns, where food would always be obtainable though beds were not. For baths we could wallow in the river before the world awoke ; we would take one mug for tea or shaving-water, and a wee stove. As for dressing for the Regatta, that was the end that crowned all, and shall be described in its proper place.

At 6.30 A.M. on the morning we were pledged to start, I woke up and observed the weather. It was, as 'The

Times' would say, "cool and unsettled "-adjectives which apply equally to the British climate and the British cook. Visibility moderate ugh! Why did I ever, &c., &c. I rose, dressed, and padded meekly through the streets to my brother's college. I should perhaps have mentioned that he is a full-fledged don, inculcating some form of philosophy that I live on the verge of understanding from one year's end to the other. None of our friends got out of bed to dis