THE ANCIEN REGIME 87 



nothing more of it, though the Master cast all round and persevered 

 for some time. Suddenly there was a holloa back, and it turned out 

 that one of the field, an excellent sportsman, had viewed the hare 

 crouching amidst a cluster of ivy on the top of the wall. How the 

 hare got up there will always remain a mystery, as there were no 

 buttresses by which she could have climbed up, but even more 

 mysterious still is how the sportsman in question came to view her 

 there as he was extremely short-sighted, and was always obliged to 

 wear the strongest glasses, and even then his sight w^as much impaired. 



These episodes show how unaccountable are the ways of poor 

 Sarah, and therefore that the Clare College Mystery may never be 

 solved. Whatever it be, however, it is fact of geography that Clare 

 College affords a convenient short-cut through from the Backs to the 

 centre of the town. The beagles had once before bolted through the 

 College when taken out sedately to exercise by a Trinity Tutor, and 

 the tale is told by a Eegius Professor. Here is another tale also old 

 enough for telling out of school, which, however, refers to boating 

 men. The tale was told me by a particeps criminis. 



A party of these heedless and high-spirited creatures, being in 

 training and " full of beans," seized a hand-barrow when out for their 

 early run and rushed with it heedlessly through the College on their 

 way back to breakfast. At the same moment the Dean was 

 traversing the cross path in his surplice to early Chapel, where (i.e. 

 at the crossways) he arrived at the same moment as the hand-cart. 

 The front of the barrow caught the Dean a tergo just above the knees 

 and seated him neatly in the body of the cart, and the momentum 

 was such that their wild career was only checked as, adstanti janitore 

 stupefacto, they shot through the main gate into the street. Followed 

 explanations and apologies. But no one knew what had become of 

 the hand-cart. 



It remains to be repeated that all these tales are very ancient 

 history, and are told out of school ; to note that many good sports- 

 men, including beaglers such as Sir Hyde Parker and E. P. Fox, 

 have hailed from Clare ; and to wish the venerable Master many 

 further years of happy life. 



