sed to tell him that he
was unfairly handicapped in being in such robust health and such
excellent spirits.

Even when he had taken his degree I do not think he realised his
innate mathematical power. . . . It has been a standing wonder to me
that he developed the patience for making the laborious numerical
calculations on which so much of his most original work was
necessarily based. He certainly showed no tendency in that direction
during his undergraduate years. Indeed, he told me more than once in
later life that he detested arithmetic, and that these calculations
were as tedious and painful to him as they would have been to any
other man, but that he realised that they must be done, and that it
was impossible to train anyone else to do them.

As a Freshman he 'kept' (_i.e._ lived) in A 6, the staircase at the N.W.
corner of the New Court, afterwards moving to F 3 in the Old Court,
pleasant rooms entered by a spiral staircase on the south side of the
Great Gate. Below him, in the ground floor room, now used as the College
offices, lived Mr. Colvill, who remained a faithful but rarely seen
friend as long as George lived.

Lord Moulton, who, as we have seen, was a fellow pupil of George's at
Routh's, was held even as a Freshman to be an assured Senior Wrangler, a
prophecy that he easily made good. The second place was held by George,
and was a much more glorious position than he had dared to hope for. In
those days the examiners read out the list in the Senate House at an
early hour, 8 a.m. I think. George remained in bed and sent me to bring
the news. I remember charging out through the crowd the moment the
magnificent "Darwin of Trinity" had followed the expected "Moulton of St.
John's." I have a general impression of a cheerful crowd sitting on
George's bed and literally almost smothering him with congratulations.
He received the following characteristic letter from his father: {159}

DOWN, _Jan._ 24_th_ [1868].

My dear old fellow,

I am so pleased. I congratulate you with all my heart and soul. I
always said from your early days that such energy, perseverance and
talent as yours would be sure to succeed: but I never expected such
brilliant success as this. Again and again I congratulate you. But
you have made my hand tremble so I can hardly write. The telegram
came here at eleven. We have writ