EARLY LIFE. 89 



have been indefatigable walkers ; for I well remem- 

 ber, on one occasion, Stuart and I had not only walked 

 the feet off our stockings, but also the soles off our 

 boots. Some charitable friend near whose house we 

 then were, but whose name I utterly and most un- 

 gratefully forget, re-equipped us, and then we went 

 on to Inverness. These walking expeditions were the 

 pleasantest times of my life ; for I was then working 

 very hard, and while in Edinburgh allowed myself no 

 relaxation. And yet this is not strictly true; for 

 there was a set of us guilty, at occasional times, of 

 very riotous and unseemly proceedings. After the 

 day's work, we would adjourn to the Apollo Club, 

 where the orgies were more of the " high jinks " than 

 of the calm or philosophical debating order ; or to 

 Johnny Dow's, celebrated for oysters. I do believe it 

 was there that I acquired that love for oysters which 

 adheres to me even now ; so much so, that on coming 

 to an inn, the first question I generally ask is, Have 

 you any oysters ? But sometimes, if not generally, 

 these nocturnal meetings had endings that in no small 

 degree disturbed the tranquillity of the good town of 

 Edinburgh. I cannot tell how the fancy originated ; 

 but one of our constant exploits, after an evening at 

 the Apollo, or at Johnny's, was to parade the streets 

 of the New Town, and wrench the brass knockers off 

 the doors, or tear out the brass handles of the bells ! 

 No such ornaments existed in the Old Town ; but the 

 New Town, lately built, abounded in sea-green doors 

 and huge brazen devices, which were more than our 



