The Argosy — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

Heads or Tails ? 161 of his left hand as he raised it to urge the choir to emphasise a sudden “ forte” or dropped it for a “ piano,” she felt what a wonderful thing it was to have created such a work ; and what a still more wonderful thing it was that the author of it should have fallen in love with her Gown insignificant self. In about an hour, amid rapturous applause, the ‘ exercise” came to an end, and Cecil, whiter even than before, turned again to make his second formal bow to the Vice Chancellor. Then the ‘‘musical judge” came forward and heartily shook hands with and congratu- lated the young composer, and they left the platform together, while the cheers still rang through the building. It was a proud moment certainly for Cecil Hamilton, and yet he cared ‘more for Violet’s first glance as he met her outside the theatre, than for all the applause within it. She was very quiet, and something perilously like a tear glistened in her soft eyes. Tell me now?” he asked, in a voice this time low, not from affectation, but from emotion. ‘ T cannot—we must wait.” Yes, wait. Cecil knew well enough what for; but he did not have to wait long, for the boat race was rowed on the following day. It was cold, but fortunately a fine afternoon, and Mrs. Hamilton, with the double object of chaperoning Violet and of seeing her son row, consented to come down to the river, though very few ladies put in an appearance there for the fours. Dick accompanied them as far as the ’Varsity barge, where he left them comfortably established on the roof under the care of several of his friends, who promised to answer all the questions which Violet as an uninitiated spectator was sure to ask. The river wasa pretty sight. At first it was full of boats —tub pairs and fours and scratch eights, for Michaelmas is the term for coaching the freshmen—all hurrying back to their respective college barges to be out of the way before the fours came on. ‘Then, as the course began to clear, the banks became alive with a crowd of flannel-clad undergraduates, hurrying across the river in punts, that they might run up the towing-path towards Iffley (where the boats started), their terriers at their heels and a general amount of life and good humour about them which was invigorating even to witness. e “There,” said young Montague, standing at Violet’s elbow; ‘‘ do you see that boat in the distance starting from the ’Varsity boat- house? ‘That’s ‘St. Stephen’s’ going to drop down to Iffley. They won’t be off for a quarter of an hour yet, for the Derby boat hasn’t even left its barge. Do look how beautiful a racing four looks after these clumsy tubs you have been trying to admire. There are only two boats in for the fours this year, the others all scratched several weeks ago. It ought to be an awfully close race, and with all my heart I pity Hamilton having to steer them.” “But Mr. Hamilton isn’t cox /” Violet exclaimed, with indig- GOMIGIOOKSAGO