Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

JOHN MARSTON. 53
On the barge Charles met the others of the Eight, -quiet,
staid, gentlemanly men, every one of whom knew what had
happened, and was more than usually polite in consequence.
IMusgrave, the captain, received him with manly courtesy. He
was sorry to hear Ravenshoe was going down, - had hoped to
have had him in the Eight at Easter; however, it couldn't be
helped; hoped to get him at Henley; and so on. The others
were very courteous too, and Charles soon began to find that he
himself was talking in a different tone of voice, and using different language from that which he would have been using in his
cousin's rooms; and he confessed this to Marston that night.
Meanwhile the University Eight, with the little blue flag at her
bows, went rushing down the river on her splendid course. Past
heavy barges and fairy skiffs; past men in dingys, who ran high
and dry on the bank, to get out of the way; and groups of dandies,
who ran with them for a time. And before any man was warm,
- Iffley. Then across the broad mill-pool, and through the deep
crooks, out into the broads, and past the withered beds of reeds
which told of coming winter. Bridges, and a rushing lasher, -
-Sandford. No rest here. Out of the dripping well-like lock.
Get your oars out and away again, past the yellowing willows,
past the long, wild, gray meadows, swept by the singing autumn
wind. Through the swirling curves and eddies, onward under the
westering sun towards the woods of Nunenham.
It was so late when they got back, that those few who had
waited for them, those faithful few who would wait till midnight
to see the Eight come in, could not see them, but heard afar off the
measured throb and rush of eight oars as one, as they came with
rapid stroke up the darkening reach. Charles and Marston walked
home together.
" By George," said Charles, "I should like to do that and nothing else all my life. What a splendid stroke Musgrave gives
you, so marked, and so long, and yet so lively. 0, I should like
to be forced to row every day like the watermen."
"In six or seven years you would probably row as well as a
waterman. At least, I mean, as well as some of the second-rate
ones. I have set my brains to learn steering, being a small, weak
man; but I shall never steer as well as little Tims, who is ten
years old. Don't mistake a means for an end —"
Charles would n't always stand his friend's good advice, and he
thought he had had too much of it to-day. So he broke out into
sudden and furious rebellion, much to Marston's amusement, who
treasured up every word he said in his anger, and used them
afterwards with fearful effect against him.
"I don't care for you," bawled Charles; " you're a greater fool
than I am, and be banged to you. You're going to spend the best