nce he would take off the black cutaway
coat and the broad-brimmed hat, and row seven in the University eight,
at a moment's notice. There seems something the matter with him though,
as he holds the Major's two hands in his, and looks on his broad
handsome face. Something like a shortness of breath prevented his
speech, and, strange, the Major seems troubled with the same complaint;
but Frank gets over it first, and says,--

"My dear old friend, I am so glad to see you!"

And Mrs. Buckley says, laying her hand upon his arm, "It seems as if
all things were arranged to make my husband and myself the happiest
couple in the world. If we had been asked to-night, whom of all people
in the world we should have been most glad to see as the new Dean, we
should have answered at once, Frank Maberly; and here he is!"

"Then, you did not know whom to expect," said Frank.

"Not we, indeed," said the Major. "Desborough said the new Dean was a
Doctor Maypole; and I pictured to myself an old schoolmaster with a
birch rod in his coat tail-pocket. And we have been in such a stew all
the evening about giving the great man a proper reception. Ha! ha! ha!"

"And will you introduce me to this gentleman?" said the Dean, moving
towards Sam, who stood behind his mother.

"This," said the Major, with a radiant smile, "is my son Samuel, whom,
I believe, you have seen before."

"So, the pretty boy that I knew at Drumston," said the Dean, laying his
hands on Sam's shoulders, "has grown into this noble gentleman! It
makes me feel old, but I am glad to feel old under such circumstances.
Let me turn your face to the light and see if I can recognise the
little lad whom I used to carry pickaback across Hatherleigh Water."

Sam looked in his face--such a kindly good placid face, that it seemed
beautiful, though by some rules it was irregular and ugly enough. The
Dean laid his hand on Sam's curly head, and said, "God bless you,
Samuel Buckley," and won Sam's heart for ever.

All this time Captain Brentwood had stood with his back against the
chimney-piece, perfectly silent, having banished all expression from
his countenance; now, however, Major Buckley brought up the Dean and
introduced him:--

"My dear Brentwood, the Dean of B----; not Dean to us though, so much
as our dear old friend Frank Maberly."

"Involved grammar," said the Captain to himself, but, added aloud: "A
Churchman of your position, sir, will do me an honour by using my
house;