The Argosy — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

160 Heads or Tails? At last matters reached a climax, when the two brothers proposed to her on the same day! But she cut the Gordian knot with true womanly ingenuity by refusing them both. They knew she did not mean such cruelty, and when they pressed her, this is what she said : “Let me wait until you, Cecil, have performed your cantata, and you, Dick, have rowed your race, and then I will tell you which of you I will choose !” For, like Portia of old, Violet determined now to decide her fate by pure chance, vowing solemnly to herself that she would marry the man who made the best impression on her, when, in such widely different ways, each sought to display his skill. , After this proclamation, Dick spent the whole of the few remain- ing afternoons on the river, rowing desperately hard himself and en- couraging the others in his boat to do likewise; for clearly if he lost the race he had no chance whatever: while Cecil devoted all his time and energies to rehearsals, and at the last moment managed to make arrangements with some of the very best London profes- sionals to come down from town to undertake the solo parts. His day of trial arrived the first: and according to arrangement, punctually at half-past two Mrs. Hamilton and Violet walked over to the Sheldonian Theatre. The place was apparently already crammed, for rumours had been circulated to the effect that Mr. Hamilton’s “‘ exercise” would be no ordinary one, and most of the wives of the college dignitaries, besides a crowd of townspeople, had assembled to hear it—undergraduates were chiefly conspicuous by theirabsence. Places had been reserved for Mr. Hamilton just by the state chair of the Vice Chancellor, whose duty it is—however unmusical his tastes—to listen solemnly to the ‘exercise ” from beginning to end: but he had not come in yet. Presently a good deal of clapping announced the arrival of the ‘musical judge,” a picturesque looking old man dressed in a most gorgeous gown of white and crimson silk, who sat down at one side of the raised platform, and, on being presented with a copy of the full score carefully followed every note of the music, as became a judge ! ! More clapping, and Cecil came in, baton in hand, wearing the purple-and-black gown of a Mus. Bac., and looking intensely pale and eager. He was followed almost immediately by the Vice Chancellor, to whom from his elevated seat, he turned and made a most courteous bow, which the Vice Chancellor returned with due ceremony. Then Cecil gave one hurried, involuntary glance at Violet and turning his back abe his audience, proceeded to conduct the performance. If Violet had been a more acute musical critic, she might have better appreciated the subtile harmonies with which the cantata un- doubtedly abounded, but even her simple tastes were fully gratified. It was quaint, original, and in some parts melodious ; and watching the quick eager motions of the conductor, and the excited trembling CORNICLIOOKS (C(O) im