14 The Hoine of tJic Wolvcycnc and Beaver. 



that he led liis youthful followers into numberless 

 scrapes, follies, and extravagances, all, however, of 

 a venial nature, and quite unworthy of record. 



At the close of the Christmas holidays George 

 had to return to Eton alone, Paul being ordered to 

 the seaside to recruit his health. Easter, how- 

 ever, again saw the lads together, and they thus 

 continued until the close of 1854, when Paul went 

 to Oxford, to be followed the succeeding spring by 

 his chum George. How they alternately read, idled, 

 and were once both rusticated, I need not relate, 

 for it has little bearing upon this story. Their 

 parents were rich, and each of the young men had 

 an ample allowance, so good indeed as to prevent 

 their incurring college debts, a fact for which one 

 of them had cause shortly afterwards to be deeply 

 thankful, for it is quite hard enough to encounter 

 the world single-handed without being handicapped 

 with a mill-stone of college liabilities round your 

 neck at the very start. 



Time rolled on until 1857. It was a glorious 

 spring morning and the sun shone merrily down 

 on the smooth grass plots and sparkling fountain 



of College. Bursts of laughter and half snatches 



of song came through the open windows of one of 

 the best sets of rooms in Oxford, and the un- 

 fortunate reading man, working hard for a fellow- 



