AT THE DIAMOND BA'K 179 



hearts by a growing tractability, earnestness, and 

 modesty. No vainglorious matter now passed his 

 lips. Nor did he, as formerly, attempt upon every 

 possible occasion to rectify the frequent and lament- 

 able errors of his companions. He talked less and 

 performed to better purpose. He seemed anxious 

 to be judged by his actions rather than by his words. 



But it soon became evident this evening that our 

 comrade was fast losing his hard won self-control. 

 The flattering attention of the girls began to exert 

 its inevitable effect. 



Horace struggled for a time. He set his jaw hard, 

 casting nervous glances at the rest of us, and man- 

 fully resisted the temptation to expand, till a par- 

 ticularly pretty girl looked ravishingly up into his 

 eyes and pleaded : 



"Oh, Mr. Wetherby, do tell us something of your 

 trip. You boys must have had such stunning ad- 

 ventures!" 



And Horace fell. Nay ! rather he leapt to destruc- 

 tion succumbed gloriously and spectacularly! He 

 threw himself into the pleasant task of painting for 

 his fair auditors our life as it was not, but should 

 be, with entire abandon. His language was marvel- 

 lous ! There was a veritable conflagration of rhet- 

 oric fanned by a whirlwind of wonderful ideas. 

 Never was heard so impetuous a stream of dramatic 

 narrative, never were there such word pictures 

 as our prodigy painted, and never, needless to say, 

 were statements singly and collectively further from 



