t the bottom of the room.

How well I remember the scene! The dirty floor, the empty benches, the
torn books sprinkled upon the battered desks, the dusty sunshine
streaming in, the white-faced clock on the wall opposite, over which
the hands moved with almost incredible rapidity. But when does time
ever fly so fast as with people who are talking about themselves or
their relations?

Once the mathematical master passed through the room. He glanced at us
curiously, but Weston's face was inscrutable, and I--tracing some
surprise that I should have secured so old and so fine-mannered a boy
for a friend--held up my head, and went on with my narrative, as
fluently as I could, to show that I had parts which justified Weston
in his preference.

Tick, tack! went the clock. Click, clack! went my tongue. I fear that
quite half-an-hour must have passed, when a big boy, with an open
face, blue eyes, and closely curling fair hair, burst in. On seeing us
he exclaimed, "Hulloh!" and then stopped, I suspect in obedience to
Weston's eyes, which met his in a brief but expressive gaze. Then
Weston turned to me.

"Allow me," said he, "to introduce Mr. Thomas Johnson. He bears a very
high character in this school, and it will afford him the keenest
satisfaction to hear an authentic account of such a man as your
esteemed father, whose character should be held up for the imitation
of young gentlemen in every establishment for the education of youth."

I blushed with pride and somewhat with nervousness as Mr. Thomas
Johnson seated himself on the locker on the other side of me and
begged (with less elegance of expression than my first friend) that I
would "go ahead."

I did so. But a very few minutes exhausted the patience of my new
hearer. When he had kicked a loose splinter of wood satisfactorily off
the leg of one of the desks he began to look at the clock, which
quickened my pace from my remoter ancestors to what the colonel of the
regiment in which my father was an ensign had said of him. I completed
my narrative at last with the lawyer's remark, and added, "and
everybody says the same. And _that_ is why my father had '_The
Honourable_' before his name, just as--" &c., &c.

I had no sooner uttered these words than Johnson started from his
seat, and, covering his face with a spotted silk pocket-handkerchief,
rushed precipitately from the school-room. For one brief instant I
fancied I heard him choking with laughter, but when I turne