vIL.] THE TWO ETONIANS. 331

 

VIL
THE TWO ETONIANS.

I.

A PLEASANT, mellow autumn day, with enough sun
to remind you of the summer which had just passed
by, and a freshness in the air which at the same time
warned you of the coming winter. A bracing air
withal, and a day which tempted everyone who had
any life or spirit in him to shut up his books, put.
away his papers, and rove abroad beneath the open
skies of Heaven. Such a day it was that beamed
upon the Eton world (never mindin what year) upon
the occasion of the School Steeple-chase. The Flat-
race had been run a week ago, the Hurdle-race was
over also, and this was the last ‘event’ in the way of
athletic sports which was to ‘come off’ that half.
Such an occasion, and such weather, was sure to bring
out the whole school—or all fellows who had any sport
in them—to see the fun ; and accordingly as soon as the
big college clock had sounded the hour of twelve, you
saw boys scampering out of school in every direction
with even greater haste than usual, and in a few
minutes more, having deposited their books at their
respective ‘Tutors’’ or ‘Dames’’ houses, trooping off
down the Slough road in numbers, bound to the par-
ticular place from which each had determined that the