he has insured his life,
that you may have something besides the cottage and land when he
dies. I only tell you this that you may know the facts
beforehand. I am sure you would never take a penny from him if
you could help it. But he won't be happy unless he makes you some
allowance; and he can do it without crippling himself. He has
been paying off an old mortgage on his property here for many
years, by installments of 40L a year, and the last was paid last
Michaelmas; so that it will not inconvenience him to make you
that allowance. Now, you will not be able to live properly upon
that at Oxford, even as a servitor. I speak to you now, my dear
Jack, as your oldest friend (except Burt), and you must allow me
the privilege of an old friend. I have more than I want, and I
propose to make your allowance at Oxford to 80L a year, and upon
that I think you may manage to get on. Now, it will not be quite
candid, but I think, under the circumstances, we shall be
justified in representing to your father that 40L a year will be
ample for him to allow you. You see what I mean?

"I remember almost word for word what the Vicar said; for it is
not often in one's life that one meets with this sort of friend.
At first I thanked him, but refused to take anything from him. I
had saved enough, I said, to carry me through Oxford. But he
would not be put off; and I found that his heart was as much set
on making me an allowance himself as on saving my father. So I
agreed to take 25L a year from him.

"When we met again in the evening, to hear my father's statement,
it was as good as a play to see the dear old man, with his
spectacles on and his papers before him, proving in some
wonderful way that he could easily allow me at least 80L or 100L
a year. I believe it cost the Vicar some twinges of conscience to
persuade him that all I should want would be 40L a year; and it
was very hard work; but at last we succeeded, and it was so
settled. During the next three weeks the preparations for my
start occupied us all. The Vicar looked out all the classics,
which he insisted that I should take. There they stand on that
middle shelf--all well bound, you see, and many of them old
college prizes. My father made an expedition to the nearest town,
and came back with a large new portmanteau and hat-box; and the
next day the leading tailor came over to fit me out with new
clothes. In fact, if I had not resisted stoutly, I should have
come to college