him to inquire more particularly what my duties
were to be.

He said, "Quite right—quite right," and
still went on with what he was doing. A parcel
of schoolboy drawings were before him, consisting
of "Fishermen Mending their Nets," "The
"War Horse on the Eve of Battle," and such like,
together with a pot of paste and some cardboard.

The drawings were presently all finished, and
Dr. Clackmannan rose. I began to cross-
examine him. He was evidently a good fellow.
He answered all my queries at once, and in the
most straightforward manner. His degree was
LL.D., but of some university with a strange
name. I presumed, from his talking of his
"late wife," that he was a widower; but he
said no, that he found he could not get on
without a wife, and that he was married to the
lady whom I had seen on my former visit.

The doctor having informed me that it was
usual for himself and masters to wear the college
cap and gown (and that the boys also wore the
cap out of doors), I made a pilgrimage into
Holywell-street and inquired for a gown. Dr.
Clackmannan had supplied me with a cap from
his store, at six and sixpence, observing that he
didn't want to make a profit out of me. In the
first old-clothes-shop I entered, I was offered
the gown of a Q.C., and Moses Levy seemed
surprised that it didn't suit my views. I tried
another shop, and was here shown the gown of a
Cambridge M.A., inclining towards a russet
green from age. The Jew said that the price of
it was a guinea, and asked me whether I wanted
"the 'at," adding, that he concluded I was going
to get married. I didn't exactly like the gown,
and also thought a guinea too much for it, so I
crossed the road (in consequence of a hint) to
a certain College, where I found the porter, and
asked him whether he had any gowns on hand.
He had not, but knew somebody who had.
He disappeared, and presently returned with a
small gown on his arm. So I closed the bargain
at seven and sixpence, taking the gown
away with me wrapped up in brown paper. I
was now thoroughly caparisoned, and when,
shortly afterwards, term commenced, was in
marching order for South Aberdeen.

Mrs. Clackmannan, upon my arrival, fetched
the college cap I had bought, and said that I
should find "the other master" in the dining-
hall. I was rather anxious to see what "the
other master" was like, for I am of a
companionable disposition, and like to have some
one to talk to over a smoke in the evenings.
In the dining-hall I saw seated near the stove
a thin little man, squinting horribly behind his
spectacles. He was reading out of a book to a
little boy on his knee, a pleasant mildness in the
action and the manner of it. The little boy at
once rose and shook hands with me, and asked
me "whether I were the other new master."

The gentleman rose diffidently and made a
bow, observing that he thought it likely that it
would rain. He spoke very respectfully, and
said "sir." I concluded that he looked after
the wardrobes, and presently left the room,
thinking I might find "the other master"
(perhaps an Oxford M.A.) in the playground.

But no, there were only a few of the boys, who
also came and shook hands with me. I asked
to be shown to my room, and was taken
to a lean-to attic at the top of the house. I
looked round in astonishment, and asked the
handmaiden whether she were sure that that
room was for me. She seemed to have
expected some such question, and grinned. The
peculiar dungeon-like feeling about the room I
soon discovered arose from damp.

I washed my hands and brushed my hair, by
way of doing something. Presently a bell rang;
then another; and, on making my way to the
dining-room, I found all hands had been piped
for tea: grace being said as I entered.

There were three long tables, two at one end,
one at the other. The two were covered with
rows of cups and saucers, and plates of very
thick bread and very thin butter. The one table
had an old cover on it, and a large urn. Finding,
on closer observance, that Mrs. Clackmannan
was behind the urn, I advanced to the table.
She said in a melancholy voice as she stirred
the teapot with a spoon, "Oh, Mr. Hope, will
you sit down?" and I presently found myself
drinking a cup of weak tea, with the gentleman
of the squint sitting opposite to me. We were
not introduced, but I heard him called "Mr.
Forfar," and discovered that he was my
colleague. He and I were, therefore, "the staff
of able and talented professors resident on the
premises."

There we all were, then, weighing together
about forty-three stone. Dr. Clackmannan
twenty-four, Mr. Forfar seven, myself twelve;
a pretty set of intellectual graces. After tea
had been removed and the company had retired,
I sat myself down on the deal table, and held
discourse with the other able and talented
professor. He was an odd little man of thirty-
something, dressed severely in black: black
frock-coat, black open waistcoat, showing black
glass studs. He was a very conceited little
man. (It is part of the business to be so in
the scholastic profession.) He was about five
feet four inches in height, with brown hair and
whiskers, and a hatchet face. The squint was
very horrible. One eye anchored to an object,
while the other took a cruise about the ceiling.
Mr. Forfar talked of his former engagements,
and of the respect with which he had invariably
been treated while holding them.

Supper was laid at nine, and we went to the
table to await the coming of the doctor. He
didn't arrive until half-past nine. When he had
sat a little time after his supper, he retired,
shaking hands, and wishing us good night. I
immediately began to light up for a smoke, as did
also the other learned professor, when out went
the gas, and we could only see the lights of
each other's cigars. It seemed as if a fairy had
suddenly transformed us into two fire-flies. The
room was, like the pavilion of a sultana, in the
open air, and was composed chiefly of windows
and doors. I groped my way to the door