172 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



could not, of course, stand by and watch developments, 

 so went into hall and dined with becoming gravity. 

 Moreover, we returned to our rooms afterwards and spent 

 an unusually quiet evening, without hearing anything 

 whatever about the picture. 



Early next morning, in accordance with an arrange- 

 ment I had made some time before, I journeyed off to 

 Brokenhurst, in the New Forest, to see the famous fox- 

 terriers which a good old sportsman named Gibson kept 

 there, among them being Cottingham Nettle, the dam 

 of my own dog, Jester. After spending a very satisfactory 

 and instructive day, I got back late to Oxford and it was 

 about 10.30 P.M. when the college gate was opened to me. 



That I was to go to the Master immediately on my 

 return such was the message delivered to me by the 

 porter, and it seemed ominous. Obviously the first 

 thing to do was to see my friends and ascertain what had 

 happened. I soon found that the hangers of the picture 

 on the lamp-post had been discovered. The dons had 

 sat in common-room on the subject and all the available 

 culprits were to be " sent down " for the rest of the term. 

 I alone had not been available, and the common-room had 

 sat for an hour or more while the Messenger vainly sought 

 for me. Eventually the common-room ceased sitting, and 

 thus it fell out that it was left for the Master to deal with 

 me. The prospect seemed black indeed. 



However, there was no escape, so I repaired to his house 

 and was shown up to his room. There was but a dim 

 light, and he was working with a reading-lamp in the far 

 corner, absorbed in his great work which as Jowett's 

 Plato became a classic from the moment it left the press. 



He looked up as I entered, but seemed hardly to 

 recognise me, for his mind was concentrated on his work. 

 At last he said : 



" Ah I Mr Allison." Then, after a pause : " Your 

 tutor tells me you haven't been attending lectures 

 regularly." 



In an instant it flashed across me that he was not 



