g and crashing as they
descended--to the far different reality that, instead of being still
under my uncle's roof at Islington, I was actually at school at Dr
Hellyer's. And that dreadful gong which had interrupted my slumbers,
and which must once have belonged to a mandarin of the most warlike
tendencies, and of three buttons at least, judging by the din it was
capable of, was banging away down-stairs and reverberating through the
house; while the score of boys or so, who occupied the dormitory along
with Tom and myself, were jumping out of bed and dressing as hurriedly
as they could in the semi-darkness of the wintry morning, which the
twinkling of the solitary gas-jet, still alight near the door, over
Smiley's couch, rendered even more dusky and dismal by contrast.

The windows were shrouded in a thick white fog, that had come up with
the rising tide from the sea, which I was thus prevented from seeing had
I the time to spare to look out; although, the thought of doing so never
crossed my mind, for, independently of the noise of the gong and the
scurrying of the other fellows out of the room as soon as they were
partly dressed, being suggestive of my also hurrying on my clothes as
quickly as I possibly could, I hardly needed Tom's reminder to "look
sharp!" Really, no sooner had I stood on my feet and been thoroughly
roused, than I was assailed by such a feeling of ravenous hunger that it
would have been quite sufficient inducement for me to make haste without
any further spur to my movements. I certainly did not intend to be late
for breakfast--this morning at all events--and so I told Tom!

Within less than two minutes, I think, I had scrambled into my shirt and
trousers; and, throwing my other garments over my arm in imitation of
Tom, I was racing along with him down to the lavatory in the lower
regions where our ablutions had to be performed. Thence, there was
another mad rush up-stairs again to the refectory, which we reached
before the second gong, calling us to the matutinal meal, had ceased to
sound.

Porridge, with mugs of skim sky-blue milk-and-water, and a couple of
slices of bread-and-butter for each pupil, comprised the bill of fare;
but it might have been a banquet of Lucullus from the way I did justice
to it after my prolonged fast. Noticing my voracity, the old woman,
who, as on the evening before, acted as mistress of the ceremonies, gave
me an extra allowance of porridge, which made me her fri