s of whiskey," said his
host, going to the cupboard, and producing a black bottle, two
tumblers of different sizes, some little wooden toddy ladles, and
sugar in an old cracked glass.

Tom vowed that, if there was one thing in the world he liked more
than another, it was whiskey; and began measuring out the liquor
carefully into his tumbler, and rolling it round between his eyes
and the candle and smelling it, to show what a treat it was to
him; while his host put the kettle on the fire, to ascertain that
it had quit boiling, and then, as it spluttered and fizzed,
filled up the two tumblers, and restored it to its place on the
hob.

Tom swallowed some of the mixture, which nearly made him cough
again--for, though it was very good, it was also very potent.
However, by an effort he managed to swallow his cough; he would
about as soon have lost a little finger as let it out. Then, to
his great relief, his host took the pipe from his lips, and
inquired, "How do you like Oxford?"

"I hardly know yet," said Tom; "the first few days I was
delighted with going about and seeing the buildings, and finding
out who had lived in each of the old colleges, and pottering
about in the Bodleian, and fancying I should like to be a great
scholar. Then I met several old school fellows going about, who
are up at other colleges, and went to their rooms and talked over
old times. But none of my very intimate friends are up yet, and
unless you care very much about a man already, you don't seem
likely to get intimate with him up here, unless he is at your own
college."

He paused, as if expecting an answer.

"I daresay not," said Hardy, "but I never was at a public school,
unluckily, and so am no judge."

"Well, then, as to the college life," went on Tom, "it's all very
well as far as it goes. There's plenty of liberty and good food.
And the men seem nice fellows--many of them, at least, so far as
I can judge. But I can't say that I like it as much as I liked
our school life."

"I don't understand," said Hardy. "Why not?"

"Oh! I hardly know," said Tom laughing; "I don't seem as if I had
anything to do here; that's one reason, I think. And then, you
see, at Rugby I was rather a great man. There one had a share in
the ruling of 300 boys, and a good deal of responsibility; but
here one has only just to take care of oneself, and keep out of
scrapes; and that's what I never could do. What do you think a
fellow ought to do, now, up here