This last-mentioned youth, who, to judge by his countenance, was brother to one of those who lolled on the bank, presented a curious contrast to the general languor of the afternoon. Deserted by his companions in the sport, he was relieving himself of some of his superfluous energy by the novel diversion of playing tennis with himself. This he accomplished by serving the ball high up in the air and then jumping the net, so as to take it on the other side, following up his return by another leap over the net, and so on till either he or the ball came to grief. On an ordinary day the exertion involved in this pastime would be quite enough for any ordinary individual, but on a day like the present, with the thermometer at ninety in the shade, it was a trifle too much even to watch.
“For goodness’ sake shut up, Horrors,” said the elder brother. “We might as well be playing ourselves as watch you at that sort of thing.”
The young gentleman addressed as Horrors was at that moment in the midst of one of his aerial flights, and had neither leisure nor breath to answer.
“Do you hear?” repeated the other. “If you want to keep warm, go indoors and put on a great-coat, but don’t fag us to death with that foolery.”
“Eight!” exclaimed the young athlete, scoring the number of times the ball had crossed the net, and starting for another jump. “Shut up, Reg, till I’ve done.”
He soon was done. Even Horace Cruden could not keep it up for ever, and at his tenth bound his foot caught in the net, and he came all fours on to the court.
“There, now you’re happy!” said his brother. “Now you may as well come and sit here out of the cold.”
Horace picked himself up, laughing.
“All very well,” said he. “I’m certain I should have done it twelve times if you hadn’t put me off my jump. Never mind, I’ll do it yet.”
“Oh, Horace,” interposed one of the others, beseechingly, “if you love us, lie down now. I’m quite ill watching you, I assure you. We’ll all vow we saw you do it twelve times; we’ll put it in the Times if you like, and say the net was five feet ten; anything, as long as you don’t start at it again.”