So they've got a vacant date.
Shall I try them? I'll write to Strachan tonight, if you like. And they
aren't strong this year. We'll smash them. What do you say?"
Adair was as one who has seen a vision.
"By Jove," he said at last, "if we only could!"
28
MR. DOWNING MOVES
The rain continued without a break all the morning. The two teams, after
hanging about dismally, and whiling the time away with stump-cricket in
the changing rooms, lunched in the pavilion at one o'clock. After which
the M.C.C. captain, approaching Adair, moved that this merry meeting be
considered off and he and his men permitted to catch the next train back
to town. To which Adair, seeing that it was out of the question that
there should be any cricket that afternoon, regretfully agreed, and the
first Sedleigh _v_. M.C.C. match was accordingly scratched.
Mike and Psmith, wandering back to the house, were met by a damp junior
from Downing's, with a message that Mr. Downing wished to see Mike as
soon as he was changed.
"What's he want me for?" inquired Mike.
The messenger did not know. Mr. Downing, it seemed, had not confided in
him. All he knew was that the housemaster was in the house, and would be
glad if Mike would step across.
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