“The Rockshire match was a great triumph,” said the doctor, cheerily, as the company established itself at the festive board—“and a surprise too, surely—was it not?”
“Yes, sir,” said Fairbairn, who, seeing that Bloomfield was not yet in a condition to discourse, felt it incumbent on him to reply—“we never expected to win by so much.”
“It was quite an event,” said the doctor, “the heads of the three houses all playing together in the same eleven.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Fairbairn, “Bloomfield here was most impartial.”
Bloomfield said something which sounded like “Not at all.”
“I was especially glad to see the Welchers coming out again,” said the doctor, with a friendly nod to Riddell.
“Yes,” said Fairbairn, who appeared to be alarmingly at his ease; “and Welch’s did good service too; that catch of Riddell’s saved us a wicket or two, didn’t it, Bloomfield?”
“Yes,” replied Bloomfield.
“Was Rockshire a specially weak team this year?” asked the doctor.
“I don’t think so, sir,” replied Fairbairn, politely handing the toast to Miss Stringer as he spoke; “but they evidently weren’t so well together as our men.”