dvanced age, who were instructed by
the under master, while in a third division were the boys of the upper
forms, who were under the especial superintendence of the high master
himself. The last two divisions were separated only by a large curtain,
which could be drawn at will. Master Elliot passing on, stood before
the head master's chair at the further end of the hall. Dr Freeman
received his salute, and descending from his chair, inquired the name of
the boy he had brought.

"Ah! yes," he said, on hearing Ernst's name, "a ward of the worshipful
Master Gresham--that _ditissimus mercator_, as my honoured friend Dr
Caius calls him. I am glad to have the youthful Verner under my charge.
I will presently see that he possesses the necessary qualifications for
entering, of which, however, I entertain no doubt, being fully
persuaded, from what Master Gresham wrote, that he is far more
proficient than many who come here."

Ernst did not exactly understand all that the Doctor was saying; at the
same time he heard enough to give him courage, and with less anxiety and
alarm than might have been expected, he bade his friend the factor
farewell.

"Keep thy wits about thee, my lad," whispered Master Elliot, "and do
credit to your name and country. There is nothing very difficult for
you to go through, depend on that, or those dull-headed boys we passed
as we entered would never have taken their places in the school."

Ernst found his friend's remarks correct.

His reading, in spite of his foreign accent, was considered fluent, and
his writing very good. To the questions put to him he answered in a way
to obtain the approbation of the Doctor, and he was forthwith sent to
take his place in the lower school. Ernst found that each class
contained sixteen boys. The one who was at the head of his class had a
little seat to mark his honourable position, arranged above the benches
on which the other boys were placed.

As at that early hour lights were required, each boy had brought a wax
candle, it being against the rules laid down by Dean Colet that any
tallow candles should be used. As soon as the day became sufficiently
bright, the candles were immediately extinguished, to be ready again in
the evening. Ernst, by attending diligently to his studies, gained the
approbation of his masters, and, greatly to his surprise, was in a short
time promoted to the seat of honour at the head of the class. He
observed that when Mast