"In some respects," he admitted, "it is regrettable. Yet you must
remember that you are practically the head of the family. I have the
title, but you have the estates and the money. You should find plenty to
do!"

I nodded.

"Naturally! That isn't exactly what I meant, though. Here we are, and by
Jove, I'm late!"

My cousin cared for cricket no more than for any other sports, but
because he represented Medchestershire, he made a point of coming to see
his County play. He took up a prominent position in the pavilion
enclosure, and requested me to inform the local reporters, who had come
up from Medchester, of his presence. I changed into my flannels quickly,
and was just in time to go out into the field with the rest of the team.

The morning's cricket was not particularly exciting, and I had hard work
to keep my thoughts fixed upon the game. Our bowling was knocked about
rather severely, but wickets fell with reasonable frequency. It was just
before luncheon time that the most surprising event of the day happened
to me. The captain of the M.C.C., who had just made his fifty, drove a
full pitch hard towards the boundary on the edge of which I was fielding.
By fast sprinting, and a lot of luck, I brought off the catch, and,
amidst the applause from the pavilion within a few feet of me, I heard my
cousin's somewhat patronizing congratulations:--

"Fine catch, Jim! Very fine catch indeed!"

I glanced round, and stood for a moment upon the cinder-path as though