ALONE WITH THE MASTER 159 



of something to say. There was the awful fear that in a 

 moment of aberration one might mention the weather 

 and receive some withering retort. I can only remember 

 those few seconds of intense nerve strain, but of what I 

 did actually say I have not the faintest recollection. I 

 only know that we were soon talking quite easily, and all 

 my apprehensions had vanished. He even unbent so 

 far as to jest about the Dervorguilla Debating Society 

 which some of us had just formed at least I was one of 

 the original members Fitzroy was the leading light in it. 

 The jest was that perhaps Periham would be a better 

 title than Dervorguilla for the society, and that is a jest 

 which no one but a Balliol man will understand. Be 

 that as it may, the Dervorguilla is now the oldest of Balliol 

 College societies, and was so named after Dervorguilla 

 of Galloway, wife of John de Balliol, these two having 

 been the founders of the College in 1263 and 1284. 



Now there is no further need to point out to anyone 

 who reads with inside knowledge that the Master and I 

 had somehow got on quite well in desultory conversation, 

 and before an hour had passed I had told him how I 

 had no home except at Coxwold Vicarage, and that the 

 daughters of that house were to all intents and purposes 

 my sisters. One of them was to be married and I was 

 most anxious to be there on the day if it could possibly 

 be permitted. He agreed at once that I should go, on 

 condition of hurrying back again, but added that the 

 bride " ought to have been a nearer relation." 



Now he actually said this to me. I have heard many 

 stories ascribed to him of a similar sort, mostly about 

 men wanting to go down for a funeral ; but my story is 

 bedrock truth, and that is how I got what in these days 

 we should call my " permit," to go to the wedding of 

 "Bob" Ceiling's father and mother. It seems almost 

 wonderful to have lived through all these years. 



I put "Bob" Ceiling's name in "quotes," for his 

 father, Bob Colling, is alive, and was a contemporary with 

 the late Marquis of Queensberry at Cambridge, together 



