om equipped in his go-to-meeting roof, as his new friend
called it. But this didn't quite suit his fastidious taste in another
minute, being too shiny; so, as they walk up the town, they dive into
Nixon's the hatter's, and Tom is arrayed, to his utter astonishment, and
without paying for it, in a regulation cat-skin at seven-and-sixpence,
Nixon undertaking to send the best hat up to the matron's room,
School-house, in half an hour.

"You can send in a note for a tile on Monday, and make it all right, you
know," said Mentor; "we're allowed two seven-and-sixers a half, besides
what we bring from home."

Tom by this time began to be conscious of his new social position and
dignities, and to luxuriate in the realized ambition of being a public
school-boy at last, with a vested right of spoiling two seven-and-sixers
in half a year.

"You see," said his friend, as they strolled up towards the
school-gates, in explanation of his conduct, "a great deal depends on
how a fellow cuts up at first. If he's got nothing odd about him, and
answers straightforward, and holds his head up, he gets on. Now, you'll
do very well as to rig, all but that cap. You see I'm doing the handsome
thing by you, because my father knows yours; besides, I want to please
the old lady. She gave me half a sov. this half, and perhaps'll double
it next, if I keep in her good books."

There's nothing for candour like a lower-school boy, and East was a
genuine specimen--frank, hearty, and good-natured, well-satisfied with
himself and his position, and choke-full of life and spirits, and
all the Rugby prejudices and traditions which he had been able to get
together in the long course of one half-year during which he had been at
the School-house.

And Tom, notwithstanding his bumptiousness, felt friends with him at
once, and began sucking in all his ways and prejudices, as fast as he
could understand them.

East was great in the character of cicerone. He carried Tom through
the great gates, where were only two or three boys. These satisfied
themselves with the stock questions, "You fellow, what's your name?
Where do you come from? How old are you? Where do you board?" and, "What
form are you in?" And so they passed on through the quadrangle and
a small courtyard, upon which looked down a lot of little windows
(belonging, as his guide informed him, to some of the School-house
studies), into the matron's room, where East introduced Tom to that
dignitary; ma