d matron's rooms: boys wrapped in great-coats
and mufflers were swallowing hasty mouthfuls, rushing about, tumbling
over luggage, and asking questions all at once of the matron; outside
the School-gates were drawn up several chaises and the four-horse
coach which Tom's party had chartered, the post-boys[24] in their best
jackets and breeches, and a cornopean[25] player, hired for the
occasion, blowing away, "A southerly wind and a cloudy day," waking
all peaceful inhabitants half-way down the High Street.

[24] #Post-boys#: the boys that drove the coach and the
post-chaises.

[25] #Cornopean#: a kind of trumpet.

Every minute the bustle and hubbub increased; porters staggered about
with boxes and bags, the cornopean played louder. Old Thomas sat in
his den with a great yellow bag by his side, out of which he was
paying journey money to each boy, comparing by the light of a solitary
dip the dirty crabbed little list in his own handwriting, with the
Doctor's list, and the amount of his cash; his head was on one side,
his mouth screwed up, and his spectacles dim from early toil. He had
prudently locked the door, and carried on his operations through the
window, or he would have been driven wild and lost all his money.

"Thomas, do be quick; we shall never catch the Highflyer[26] at
Dunchurch."

[26] #Highflyer#: name of a coach.

"That's your money, all right, Green."

"Hullo, Thomas, the Doctor said I was to have two-pound-ten; you've
only given me two pound." I fear that Master Green is not confining
himself strictly to truth. Thomas turns his head more on one side than
ever, and spells away at the dirty list. Green is forced away from the
window.

"Here, Thomas, never mind him, mine's thirty shillings." "And mine
too," "And mine," shouted others.

One way or another, the party to which Tom belonged all got packed and
paid, and sallied out to the gates, the cornopean playing frantically,
"Drops of Brandy," in allusion, probably, to the slight potations in
which the musicians and post-boys had been already indulging. All
luggage was carefully stowed away inside the coach and in the front
and hind boots, so that not a hat-box was visible outside. Five or six
small boys, with pea-shooters, and the cornopean player, got up
behind; in front the big boys, mostly smoking, not for pleasure, but
because they are now gentlemen at large[27]--and this is the most
correct public method of notifying the fac