"overhaul his law," as Wade had expressed it.

Ranney had no idea of letting him off on definitions and general
rules, and he plunged at once into special pleading, as presented by
Chitty, in his chapter on Replications. No severer test could have
been applied, and the young men thought it a little rough. Bart
answered the questions with some care, and gave the reason of the
rules clearly. Ranney then proposed a case of a certain special plea,
and asked Bart how he would reply. Bart enumerated all the various
replies that might be made, and the method of setting each forth.
Ranney then asked him to state an instance of new assignment, in
a replication; and when Bart had stated its purpose and given an
instance, he said he thought that a good pleader would always so state
his case in his declaration as to render a new assignment unnecessary,
perhaps impossible. He was then asked what defects in pleading would
be cured by a general verdict? and gave the rules quite luminously.

Ranney then asked him what books he had read; and Bart named several.
"What others?" and he named as many more. "Is that all?" laughing.

"Oh!" said Bart, "I remember what you and Henry said about my reading,
and really I have dipped into a good many besides."

"Well, Ranney," said Wade, "what can we do for this young man? I think
he will pass now, better than one in a hundred."

"I think so too; still, I think we can help him, or help him to help
himself." And he finally named a work on commercial law, a book on
medical jurisprudence, and a review of Kent. At leisure moments, he
would have him practise in drawing bills in Chancery, declarations,
pleas, etc.

Bart certainly might be pleased with this result, and it evidently
advanced him very much in the estimation of all who had listened to
his examination, although he felt that the work imposed upon him was
rather slender, and just what he should do with the spare time this
labor would leave him he would not then determine.

He liked his new position with these ambitious young men, engaged in
intellectual pursuits, with whom he was to associate and live, and
upon whom he felt that he had made a favorable impression. It did
not occur to him that there might be society, save with these and
his books; nor would it have occurred to him to enquire, or to seek
entrance into it, if it existed; with a sort of intellectual hunger
he rushed upon his books with a feeling that he had recently been
di