THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 151 



"I should be delighted, sir," hiccuped the yeoman 

 the Squire tilling his (Mr. Kidgeways') glass at the moment. 

 " And now, sir," continued the Squire, as a still further 

 proof of sincerity, and my high esteem for you as a 

 sportsman and gentleman, suppose we take off our glasses 

 at a chuck, and I'll give the word." 



" Delighted beyond measure," replied the head of all 

 the snobs. 



" Gentlemen ! " exclaimed the Squire, " here's the 

 health of Mr. Ridgeways, a great promoter of sport. Mr. 

 Ridgeways' good health now," and at the word " now," 

 the contents of both glasses disappeared. 



The sequel of the story is soon told. The operation of 

 the buckthorn was instantaneous ; and the warm-hearted 

 yeoman was carried out of the room in a state that need 

 not, if it could, be described. 



CHAPTER IX 



Two events occur, of great influence upon the career of the hero : 

 he takes his degree at Oxford, and loses his brother, whereby 

 he becomes heir to the goodly domains of Amstead. 



WE now proceed to rather an awful period in the lives 

 of young English gentlemen, and of such, especially, 

 as may wish to distinguish themselves as scholars namely, 

 the taking a degree at college. At the period, however, 

 to which we are now alluding, between thirty and forty 

 years back, this was a less serious affair than it now is, 

 inasmuch as the undergraduates and examining masters 

 of Oxford, in particular were more intimately associated 

 with college convivialities than they now are ; so much 

 so, indeed, that not only, in many cases, were the selection 

 of the master to examine them, and the books in which 

 they were to be examined, left to the candidate's choice, 

 but, on the preceding evening, at what is now called, 

 amongst the vulgar, " a good blow out," at the said 

 candidate's expense, the very passages in the chosen 

 authors were pointed out as having been carefully perused 

 for the occasion. 



The sequel to this part of the progress of my hero and 

 his brother is soon told. Andrew took a first-class degree, 



