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SOCIAL LIFE

179

some respects as could easily be devised, but they enjoyed each other's company. All went off quite well, except that Spencer would not be roused to enthusiasm by the races. H e said that the crowd of men on the grass looked disagreeable, like flies on a plate ; also that the whole event was just like what he had imagined the Derby to be. Still, he evidently liked the excursion, and notwithstanding his asseverations at the time to the contrary, he repeated his experience on at least one subsequent occasion.

For my own part, I especially enjoy the start of the horses, for their coats shine so brightly in the sunshine, the jockeys are so sharp and ready, and the delays due to false starts give opportunities of seeing them well. I don't care much for its conclusion, but I used often after seeing the start to run to the top of the rising ground between the starting point and the stand, and sometimes got a good opera-glass view of much of the finish.

A curious sight caught my attention on one of these occasions. I was on the side of the course that faced the distant stand, and amused myself while waiting in studying the prevalent tint of the sea of faces upon it. At length the horses were off, but it was hot, and I was contented to remain in quiet where I was. When the horses approached the winningpost, the prevalent tint of the faces in the great stand changed notably, and became distinctly more pink under the flush of excitement. I wrote a short notice of the experience in Nature, under my initials, but have kept no copy and quite forget the year.

I enjoyed the friendship during more than fifty