play in the water like a young river god. He had chosen a favourite
swimming-spot and would undress under cover of the trees and then dash
out to his pastime, and it so chanced that going there one hot
afternoon he fell upon an adventure.

A party of jolly personages of the middle class, who had come up from
town on pleasure and rollicking interest, were taking a jaunt upon the
river in a wherry. 'Twas a wedding-party, and both males and females,
having dined at a tavern, were well filled with ale and in the mood for
disporting themselves. The groom and his men friends, being in
frolicsome humour and knowing nothing whatever of oarsmanship, were
playing great pranks to make the women scream at their daring. The
bride, a pretty thing in cherry ribbands, clung to the boat's side in
amaze at the heroic swagger of her new lord, but her cheeks, which had
matched her ribbands, grew paler at each rock and dip of the boat, and
her fear forced little shrieks from her. Her companions shrieked too,
but laughingly and in such manner as but spurred the men to greater
follies. The sport was at its highest and noisiest when they neared the
spot all Oxford knew by this time by the name of "my Lord Marquess's
diving hole." At this point the river was broad and deep, and not far
below it the water washed over a weir near which was a post bearing a
board marked "Danger!" To those who knew the waters and had some skill
with their oars there was no peril, but to a crew of drink-filled
junketers it was an ill-omened place. The wedding-party was too wild
and young and rollicking to observe the sign-board. The men rocked the
boat, shouted and sang, the women squealed and laughed and shouted with
them; the little bride burst forth weeping, shrieking wildly the next
moment as the wherry was overset, and the whole party struggled in the
water, the hat, with its cherry-ribbands, floating on the top.