The crowd at the station, when we got there next day to receive Blitherington and the girls, was something terrific. Nearly every member of the University appeared to be expecting female relations, and most of them must have been satisfied, for the crowd by the 11.50 was simply colossal, though our cheery trio were conspicuous by their absence. After two or three minutes of unavailing search we secured a harassed official who was buzzing round the mouth of the guard’s van, and he assured us that a relief train would arrive in ten minutes, so we possessed ourselves in patience and admired our friends’ sisters. We were presented to Mrs. and Miss Accrington and had just caught sight of de Beresford escorting his mother and her niece, the Honourable Violet McNeill, who is generally admitted to be the most charming débutante of the season, when the relief train steamed in and a second scene of confusion ensued. Freddy, who is very quick in all things, sorted out from a first-class carriage a faultlessly dressed young man with a monocle and a pink-and-white complexion and two extremely pretty girls, whom he introduced as my cousins Miss Coffington, Miss Muriel Coffington, and Lord Blitherington. His lordship created the first sensation by enquiring, ‘Is there a really good pawnshop down here?’ ‘Yes,’ said Maisie, ‘we picked him up in the Burlington Arcade yesterday, kept him till this morning, gave him sixpence for a shave and brought him down here, and now we’re all three cleaned out; but he’s brought his gold-mounted dressing case to stay with a local Hebrew, and so it’ll be pay day for everybody to-morrow. Now let’s get up to the village inn.’ ‘Don’t be in such a hurry, young woman,’ said Blitherington slowly, ‘always reconnoitre your country before advancing your main body; is Ophelia with our Lady Aunt?’ ‘Very much so,’ said Freddy. ‘Good-bye then, I’m going back to town,’ said his lordship as he proceeded to climb back into the carriage: but on our pointing out that he had no money, he was persuaded to accompany us to the hotel. ‘Only I warn you,’ he said with a weary smile, ‘if Ophelia commences telling me about Jacob I shall either take to drink or emigrate.’ We could not return to the Granville to lunch, as Freddy and I had promised to lunch with Cobson, and Reggie, who had been persuaded to speak at the Union that evening, had his speech to prepare; however we arranged to meet the girls and Blitherington in the gateway of Thomas’ at four o’clock for the races. As we were walking down St. Aldate’s in the afternoon, Freddy, who professes a great indifference to the charms of his fair cousins, announced his intention of walking with Blitherington, so that Reggie and I were allotted to Maisie and Muriel. We had only been waiting about ten minutes when the trio hove in sight, Blitherington in a splendid flannel suit--he certainly does know how to dress--and the girls in exceedingly light fluffy chiffons, which always win my heart.