Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

THE LAST GLIMPSE OF THE OLD WORLD. 137
a'few minutes after, the University Eight rushed forth on her
glorious career, clearing her way through the crowd of boats, and
their admiring rowers, towards Iffley.
And Marston sat on the top of the University barge, and
watched her sweeping on towards the distance, and then he said
to himself, -
"Ah. there goes the man I like best in the world, who don't
care for the woman I love best in the world, who is in love with
the man before mentioned, who is in love with a woman who
don't care a hang for him. There is a certain left-handedness in
human affairs."
CHAPTER XXIII.*
THE LAST GLIMPSE OF THE OLD WORLD.
PUTNEY Bridge at half an hour before high tide; thirteen or
fourteen steamers; five or six thousand boats, and fifteen or
twenty thousand spectators. This is the morning of the great
University race, about which every member bf the two great
Universities, and a very large section of the general public, have
been fidgeting and talking for a month or so.
The bridge is black, the lawns are black, every balcony and
window in the town is black; the steamers are black with a
swarming,, eager multitude, come to see the picked youths of the
upper class try their strength against one another. There are
two friends of ours nearly concerned in the great event of the
day. Charles is rowing three in the Oxford boat, and Marston
is steering. This is a memorable day for both of them, and more
especially for poor Charles.
Now the crowd surges to and fro, and there is a cheer. The
men are getting into their boats. The police-boats are busy
clearing the course. Now there is a cheer of admiration. Cambridge dashes out, swings round, and takes her place at the
bridge.
Another shout. Oxford sweeps majestically out and takes her
place by Cambridge. Away go the police-galleys, away go all
the London club-boats, at ten miles an hour down the course.
Now the course is clear, and there is almost a silence.
* The short description of the University boat-race which begins this chapter was written two years ago, from the author's recollections of the race of
1852. It would do for a description of this year's race, quite as well as of any
other year, substituting " Cambridge " for "Oxford," according to the year.