"Cbrirtopbet north" 187 



Another 'round ' was not called for ; and leaving the dis- 

 comfited champion to recover at his leisure, the Professor 

 walked coolly away to take his seat in the stage-coach, 

 about to start for Edinburgh. He just reached 

 it in time to secure a place inside, where he found 

 two young men already seated. As a matter of course 

 he entered into conversation with them, and before the 

 journey was half over, they had become the best friends 

 in the world. He asked all sorts of questions about 

 their plans and prospects, and was informed they were 

 going to attend College during the winter session. 

 Among the classes mentioned were Leslie's, Jameson's, 

 Wilson's, and some others. * Oh ! Wilson ; he is a 

 queer fellow, I am told ; rather touched here ' (pointing 

 significantly to his head) ; ' odd, decidedly odd.' The 

 lads, somewhat cautiously, after the manner of their 

 country, said they had heard strange stories reported 

 of Professor Wilson, but it was not right to believe 

 everything ; and that they would judge for themselves 

 when they saw him. ' Quite right, lads ; quite right ; 

 but I assure you I know something of this fellow 

 myself ; only this very forenoon at Hawick he got 

 into a row with a great lubberly fellow for some 

 unknown cause of offence, and gave him such a taste 

 of his fist as won't be soon forgotten ; the whole place 

 was ringing with the story ; I wonder you did not hear 

 of it.' ' Well,' rejoined the lads, ' we did hear some- 

 thing of the sort ; but it seemed so incredible that a 

 Professor of Moral Philosophy should get himself mixed 

 up with disreputable quarrels at a fair, we did not believe 

 it.' Wilson looked very grave, agreed that it was 



