bent his head over the table,
and lost all remembrance of either me or our conversation. I stole
noiselessly away, and sallied forth to seek my breakfast where I could.

There were few loiterers in the court; a stray student hurrying past,
or an old slipshod hag of hideous aspect and squalid misery, were all I
beheld; but both classes' bestowed most unequivocal signs of surprise
at my country air and appearance, and to my question, where I could buy
some bread and milk, answers the most cynical or evasive were returned.
While I was yet endeavoring to obtain from one of the ancient maidens
alluded to some information on the point, two young men, with velvet
caps and velvet capes on their gowns, stopped to listen.

"I say, friend," cried one, seemingly the younger of the two, "when did
_you_ enter?"

"This morning," said I, taking the question literally.

"Do you hear that, Ward?" continued he to his companion. "What place did
you take?"

"I was on the roof," replied I, supposing the quaere bore allusion to
the mode of my coming.

"Quite classical," said the elder, a tall, good-looking youth; "you
came as did Caesar into Gaul, '_summa diligentia,_' on the top of the
Diligence."

They both laughed heartily at a very threadbare college joke, and were
about to move away, when the younger, turning round, said, "Have you
matriculated?"

"No, sir,--what's that?"

"It's a little ceremony," interposed the elder, "necessary, and indeed
indispensable, to every one coming to reside within these walls. You've
heard of Napoleon, I dare say?"

"Bony, is it?" asked I, giving the more familiar title by which he was
better known to my circle of acquaintance.

"Exactly," said he, "Bony. Now Bony used to call a first battle the
baptism of Glory; so may we style, in a like way, Matriculation to be
the baptism of Knowledge. You understand me, eh?"

"Not all out," said I, "but partly."

"We 'll illustrate by a diagram, then."

"I say, Bob," whispered the younger, "let us find out with whom he is;"
then, turning to me, said, "Where do you live here?"

"Yonder," said I, "where that lamp is."

"Mr. Lyndsay's chambers?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right," cried the younger; "we'll show you the secret of
matriculation."

"Come along, my young friend," said the elder, in the same pompous tone
he had used at first, "let us teach you to drink of that Pierian spring
which 'Labitur et labetur in omne volubile oevum.'"

I believe it w