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The roar deepens and increases, and by-and-bye, leaning over the rail of the steamer, they can see the rhythmic flash of oars in the sunshine, and nearer and nearer come the two boats, with the Umpire's launch fussing along just behind them, and the four steamers which follow the race in the background, the Cambridge steamer—absit omen!—some way behind the rest.

I am having—absit omen!—a very decent little summer.

"Absit omen," remarked Uncle James, and the others laughed, but his wife paid no attention to him.

It is not that the rules are unknown; they are simple, short, ready to hand, and intelligible; but the penalty that may be exacted for breaking any of them is a terribly heavy one—absit omen.

To the Romans, a sneeze was an important omen, to be warded off with: "Absit omen."