SOCIAL LIFE 179 



some respects as could easily be devised, but they 

 enjoyed each other's company. All went off quite 

 well, except that Spencer would not be roused to 

 enthusiasm by the races. He said that the crowd 

 of men on the grass looked disagreeable, like flies 

 on a plate ; also that the whole event was just like 

 what he had imagined the Derby to be. Still, he 

 evidently liked the excursion, and notwithstanding 

 his asseverations at the time to the contrary, he 

 repeated his experience on at least one subsequent 

 occasion. 



For my own part, I especially enjoy the start of 

 the horses, for their coats shine so brightly in the 

 sunshine, the jockeys are so sharp and ready, and the 

 delays due to false starts give opportunities of seeing 

 them well. I don't care much for its conclusion, but 

 I used often after seeing the start to run to the top 

 of the rising ground between the starting point and 

 the stand, and sometimes got a good opera-glass view 

 of much of the finish. 



A curious sight caught my attention on one of 

 these occasions. I was on the side of the course 

 that faced the distant stand, and amused myself while 

 waiting in studying the prevalent tint of the sea of 

 faces upon it. At length the horses were off, but it 

 was hot, and I was contented to remain in quiet where 

 I was. When the horses approached the winning- 

 post, the prevalent tint of the faces in the great stand 

 changed notably, and became distinctly more pink 

 under the flush of excitement. I wrote a short 

 notice of the experience in Nature, under my initials, 

 but have kept no copy and quite forget the year. 



I enjoyed the friendship during more than fifty 



