"`He thinks he is a great man but he's little in the world and fond of gross conduct.

He and Telson are the conceitedest asses in Willoughby.'" This double shot fairly broke down the gravity both of reader and audience, and it was some little time before the diary could proceed.
The account of the race which followed was evidently not original.

It appeared to be copied verbatim from an account of the last University Boat-race, with a few interpolations intended to adapt it to the present circumstances.

It began thus: "`Punctually at half-past eight ["eight" scratched out and "three" substituted] Mr Searle [altered to Mr Parrett] gave the signal to go, and at the word the _sixteen_ oars dashed simultaneously into the water.
The Oxonians were the first to show a lead, and at the Creek ["Creek" scratched out and nothing substituted] were a foot to the good.

The Craydle is a pleasing river with banks running up from the sea to slopes up the Concrete Wall this advantage was fully maintained ["maintained" altered to "lost"]--'" "Oh, skip all that," said Parson impatiently; "go on to the part about Willow Corner." "`About a mile from home the Oxford stroke ["stroke" altered to "Bloomfield"] spurted, and the dark blue flag ["dark blue" altered to "schoolhouse"] once more shot ahead.