before her. She examined all my clothes, looked at
the mark on every collar, every sock, and scrutinised the condition of
every shirt-front and "dicky." At last she came to my Sunday suit, at
the sight of which I remembered all of a sudden my nurse's injunction,
and said, as meekly as possible, "Oh, if you please, Mrs Hudson says
those are to be hung up, and not laid flat!"

Miss Henniker stared at me as if I had asked her her age!

"Silence!" she said, when she could sufficiently recover herself;
"and--"

"And," continued I, carried away with my subject, and really not hearing
her remonstrance--"and, if you please, I'm to have three clean collars a
week, and you're to darn--"

"Frederick Batchelor!" exclaimed Miss Henniker, letting drop what she
had in her hand, and stamping her foot with most unwonted animation;
"did you hear me order you to hold your tongue? Don't dare to speak
again, sir, till you're spoken to, or you will be punished."

This tirade greatly surprised me. I had been quite pleased with myself
for remembering all Mrs Hudson's directions, and so intent on relieving
my mind of them, that I had not noticed the growing rage of the middle-
aged Henniker. In after years, when this story was told of me, I got
the credit of being the only human being, who all by himself, had
succeeded in "fetching" the Stonebridge housekeeper. At present,
however, I was taken aback by her evident rage, and considered it
prudent to give heed to her admonition. The unpacking was presently
finished, and the scarlet in the Henniker's face had gradually toned
down to its normal tint, when, turning to me, she silently motioned me
to follow her. I did so, along a long passage, in which there were at
least two turnings. At the end of this was a door leading into a room
containing half a dozen beds. Not a very cheerful room--long and low
and badly lighted, with only two washstands, and a rather fusty flavour
about the bedclothes. Don't suppose, at my age, I was critical on such
points; but when I take my boy to school, I do not think, with what I
know now, I shall put him anywhere where the dormitory is like that of
Stonebridge House.

"That," said Miss Henniker, pointing to one of the beds, "is your bed,
and you wash at this washstand."

"Oh," said I, again forgetting myself; "you are to be sure my brush and
comb--"

"Silence, Batchelor!" once more reiterated Miss Henniker.

From the dormitory I was conducted to