that I could swim
like a fish, dive like an Indian pearl hunter, run swifter than anybody
else, and play cricket and football with the best; but, as far as my
real school duties were concerned, I'm afraid I was a sad dunce, as I
was always at the bottom of my class.

I am now approaching the period to which these reminiscences of my
school-days have all along tended, albeit I have been a long time in
reaching it.

You may remember my calling your attention to the fact of the Doctor
always marching us to church on Sundays, and heading the procession,
wearing a most peculiar-looking hat the while?

Well, "thereby hangs a tale," as a wise jester says in one of
Shakespeare's plays.

I had just completed my two years' residence under the academical roof;
the summer vacation had come and gone; the boys were all back again at
school, and settled down for the winter term; the month of October had
flown by with unlagging footsteps; and November had come in, gloomy and
dismal, with white fogs and sea mists--such as haunt some parts of the
southern coasts in the autumn.

The "Fifth" was a great anniversary at the establishment.

If Guy Fawkes' Day were uncared for elsewhere, we at all events held the
memory of the defunct conspirator in high reverence; and invariably did
it such honour by the explosion of gunpowder, in the shape of squibs and
crackers as our means afforded.

The pocket-money of those having friends with long purses was saved up
for weeks beforehand for this purpose; while any boys without a regular
allowance had to "beg or borrow," so that they might contribute to the
general fund.

The couple of odd shillings Uncle George had slipped into my hand on
leaving London, had, of course, melted away long ago, and, until this
year, he never seemed to think of renewing the tip, supposing, perhaps,
that I did not want anything, for I was too proud to ask him; but at
Michaelmas, when my birthday came round--I was just fourteen then--he
quite unexpectedly sent me a post-office order for half-a-sovereign in
the possession of which I felt as rich as Croesus.

Tom, naturally, was told of the arrival of this enormous treasure
instantly. Indeed, he accompanied me on the next half-holiday, when we
were allowed out, to get the order cashed; but beyond expending about
eighteenpence in hot three-corner jam tarts and ginger beer, at a
favourite confectioner's patronised by the school, we devoted the sum to
purchasing the