144 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



certainly impelled me to win that Exhibition and to stick 

 to it when won. 



And this was the end of my career at Rugby. I can 

 hardly recall whether I was sorry to leave the old school 

 or not, for my time there had passed in a confused medley 

 of sorrow, occasional effort, intermittent folly, much good- 

 fellowship, hopeless irresponsibility, but happy memories 

 not to be effaced. 



The last act had been in a sense one of direct hostility 

 to the assistant masters, and them I certainly was not sorry 

 to leave, but as the years passed, all such bitterness faded 

 away, and love for the school crept increasingly into its 

 place. It was long before I could bring myself to revisit 

 Rugby, where several of the " insolent ushers " were still 

 in authority, but a time did come when I made excuse 

 to go and see some polo ponies at Mr Miller's place, and 

 from there walked into the old Close. There was a cricket 

 match of some importance going on, and everything was 

 strangely familiar, just as if I was still at school ; but not 

 a soul of the many I met knew me by sight, and I went 

 on to the school buildings, and then up the spiral stair- 

 case, on the right of the front entrance, to the Vlth 

 form school, which was just as I had left it. 



No one was there, and I sat down in my own old seat on 

 the right of the Doctor's chair, with the one vacant seat 

 for Warner above me. Yes, I thought of Rugby then as 

 I had never thought in more nighty days, before the 

 burden of life had really touched me. 



With a sigh, I came away, and so on to our old house, 

 into which also I entered. It was a holiday afternoon 

 and no one was about, so I walked round the passages 

 and had a look at my own study, then returned and into 

 the hall, where I saw my name was still in Its place on the 

 wall. 



Still no one appeared, and I departed as if from an abode 

 of shadows and memories, all of which were very happy 

 ones, even amid an atmosphere of regret. 



It may be thought that I have put too much of the ego 



