," replied the other, "that his meaning could not be
perceived."--"For all that," said the twelfth, "he is easily seen
through."--"You talk," answered the thirteenth, "as if his head was made
of glass."--"No, no," cried the fourteenth, "his head is made of more
durable stuff; it will bend before it breaks."--"Yet I have seen it
broken," resumed the president. "Did you perceive any wit come out
at the whole?" said another. "His wit," replied the chairman, "is too
subtle to be perceived."

A third mouth was just open, when the exercise was suddenly interrupted
by the dreadful cry of "Fire!" which issued from the kitchen, and
involved the whole college in confusion. Every man endeavoured to be
the first in making his exit, the door and passage were blocked up; each
individual was pommelled by the person that happened to be behind him.
This communication produced noise and exclamation; clouds of smoke
rolled upwards into the apartment, and terror sat on every brow; when
Peregrine, seeing no prospect of retreating by the door, opened one of
the windows, and fairly leaped into the street, where he found a crowd
of people assembled to contribute their assistance in extinguishing the
flames. Several members of the college followed his example, and happily
accomplished their escape. The chairman himself, being unwilling to use
the same expedient, stood trembling on the brink of descent, dubious
of his own agility, and dreading the consequence of such a leap, when
a chair happening to pass, he laid hold on the opportunity, and by an
exertion of his muscles, pitched upon the top of the carriage, which was
immediately overturned in the kennel, to the grievous annoyance of the
fare, which happened to be a certain effeminate beau, in full dress, on
his way to a private assembly.

This phantom hearing the noise overhead, and feeling the shock of being
overthrown at the same time, thought that some whole tenement had fallen
upon the chair, and, in the terror of being crushed to pieces, uttered
a scream, which the populace supposed to proceed from the mouth of a
woman; and therefore went to his assistance, while the chairmen, instead
of ministering to his occasions, no sooner recollected themselves,
than they ran in pursuit of their overthrower, who, being accustomed
to escape from bailiffs, dived into a dark alley, and, vanishing in a
trice, was not visible to any living soul, until he appeared next day on
Tower-hill.

The humane pa