nusual mode of salutation may be attributed Coleman's doubts as to his
sanity.

"Who'd ever have thought of meeting you at Helmstone, I should like to
know?" exclaimed he in a tone of astonishment.

"I was going to say the same thing to you, sir," replied I; "I came down
here the very day on which we travelled together."

"Umph! I came the next; well, and what are you doing now you are here?
Schoolmaster lives here, I suppose--tutor, you call him, though, don't
you?"

I informed him of my tutor's name and residence, when he continued:--

"Umph! I know him; very good man, too good to be plagued by a set of
tiresome boys--men, though, you call yourselves, don't you? Umph! Is he
a man too?" he inquired, pointing to Coleman.

"I've been a man these seventeen years, sir," replied Coleman.

~63~~"Umph, a man seventeen years ago! a baby, more likely: what does he
mean? what does he mean?"

I explained that he probably intended a pun upon his name, which was
Coleman.

"A pun, Umph? he makes puns, does he? funny boy, funny boy, I daresay.
How does the Doctor like that, though? Make puns to him, he'd _pun_ish
you, Umph? Stupid things puns--made one myself then, though--just like
me. Well, give the Doctor my compliments--Mr. Frampton's--I live at No.
10 Castle Street,--he knows me, and ask him to let you come and dine
with me next week; bring funny boy too, if he likes to come;" and away
he posted, muttering "Umph! plaguing myself about a pack of boys, when I
might be quiet--just like me!"

We did not fail to deliver Mr. Frampton's message to Dr. Mildman on our
return home, who willingly gave us the required permission, saying
that he knew but little of the old gentleman personally, though he had
resided for several years at Helmstone, but that he was universally
respected, in spite of his eccentricities, and was reported to have
spent great part of his life abroad. The next time I met my new friend
he repeated his invitation to Coleman and myself, and, on the day
appointed, gave us an excellent dinner, with quite as much wine as we
knew what to do with; amused and interested us with sundry well-told
anecdotes of adventures he had met with during his residence in foreign
lands, and dismissed us at nine o'clock with a tip of a guinea each, and
an injunction to come and see him again whenever we pleased.

For many succeeding weeks nothing of any particular moment occurred to
interrupt the even tenor of the new course of