r venerable University, and amusing themselves by
discussing the rival theories of physiologists or the latest additions
to the pharmacopoeia."

Garraway had listened with becoming gravity to the commencement of this
speech, but at the last sentence he choked and vanished for the second
time out of the room.

"Your friend seems amused," remarked Dr. Dimsdale mildly.

"Yes. He gets taken like that sometimes," said his son. "His brothers
are just the same. I have hardly had a chance yet to say how glad I am
to see you, dad."

"And I to see you, my dear boy. Your mother and Kate come up by the
night train. I have private rooms at the hotel."

"Kate Harston! I can only remember her as a little quiet girl with long
brown hair. That was six years ago. She promised to be pretty."

"Then she has fulfilled her promise. But you shall judge that for
yourself. She is the ward of John Girdlestone, the African merchant,
but we are the only relations she has upon earth. Her father was my
second cousin. She spends a good deal of her time now with us at
Phillimore Gardens--as much as her guardian will allow. He prefers to
have her under his own roof, and I don't blame him, for she is like a
ray of sunshine in the house. It was like drawing his teeth to get him
to consent to this little holiday, but I stuck at it until I wearied him
out--fairly wearied him out." The little doctor chuckled at the thought
of his victory, and stretched out his thick legs towards the fire.

"This examination will prevent me from being with you as much as I
wish."

"That's right, my boy; let nothing interfere with your work."

"Still, I think I am pretty safe. I am glad they have come now, for
next Wednesday is the international football match. Garraway and I are
the two Scotch half-backs. You must all come down and see it."

"I'll tell you what, Dimsdale," said Garraway, reappearing in the
doorway, "if we don't hurry up we shall see nothing of the election.
It is close on twelve."

"I am all ready," cried Dr. Dimsdale, jumping to his feet and buttoning
his coat.

"Let us be off, then," said his son; and picking up hats and sticks they
clattered off down the lodging-house stairs.

A rectorial election is a peculiarly Scotch institution, and, however it
may strike the impartial observer, it is regarded by the students
themselves as a rite of extreme solemnity and importance from which
grave issues may depend. To hear the spee