‘Are they coming yet?’ asked Muriel excitedly, as in her efforts to get a better view she trod upon the hat of a lady on a lower step who looked, as she subsequently said, ‘like a ferret with lockjaw’; ‘and what boat’s that?’ as the top of the division began to appear by the ’Varsity boat-house. ‘Gloucester, I think,’ Reggie said. ‘Yes it must be, and there’s our boat close behind.’ ‘I think you’ll get them all right,’ said Freddy who with Blitherington was suspended from the awning just above our heads. ‘I lay you a dollar they don’t,’ said the other, ‘why the beggars are as blown as glass.’ Conversation then ceased as the two leading boats of the division came closer into view. Gloucester were about a quarter of a length ahead and rowing fairly evenly, while the Cecil’s crew appeared rather the worse for wear, but in spite of this the fact of being opposite their own barge and other people’s sisters nerved them up to such an extent that they shot up level with the rudder of the Gloucester boat just as they passed us. I caught sight of the face of the Cecil’s stroke, a little man who splendidly exemplifies the old adage that ‘the best goods are done up in the smallest parcels,’ and noticed that he at any rate did not appear to be completely exhausted as yet. Their little cox was rising up in his seat like a soufflé and edging the Gloucester man, who had very foolishly taken the inner berth, closer and closer into the bank. At last the oar of number two in the Gloucester boat grazed the rushes and their cox was obliged to pull out into the stream, so Cecil’s gained their bump just opposite the Lichfield barge and hardly two lengths from the end of the course. The other boats all rowed over, that being the only bump in the division. When the Cecil’s boat returned to their barge next door to us we all set up a tremendous cheer, and Reggie departed in great haste to congratulate Miss Accrington, who was clapping her little hands with the most sisterly devotion. I scrambled down below with Freddy to get some tea, but this was a very hazardous business and it was nearer twenty minutes than ten before I secured two cups for the girls, and we waited patiently for the first division. About half-past five the Thomas’ men came out on the raft just beneath us and stepped gingerly into their boat which was the eighth in the first division. Maisie fell violently in love with the cox, who though exceptionally diminutive was possessed of a megaphonic voice which as Freddy coarsely remarked, ‘Fetches the girls every time.’ The boat put off into mid stream, and when the cox repeated the usual formula of ‘Forward, are you ready, paddle!’ in stentorian tones, Maisie was so moved that I thought for a minute she was actually going to jump in after him. Blitherington, who had been down below consuming something which was not tea, now reappeared and said, ‘Can’t we go down the river in a punt for this division, Freddy?’