Part 7 (1/2)
”No, thank you,” replied our hero; ”I - I -”
”Shave with cold. Ah! I see, sir. It's much 'ealthier, and makes the 'air grow. But any thing as you ~does~ want, sir, you've only to call.”
”If there is any thing that I want, Robert,” said Verdant, ”I will ring.”
”Bless you, sir,” observed Mr. Filcher, ”there ain't no bells never in colleges! They'd be rung off their wires in no time. Mr. Bouncer, sir, he uses a trumpet like they does on board s.h.i.+p. By the same token, that's it, sir!” And Mr. Filcher vanished, just in time to prevent little Mr. Bouncer from finis.h.i.+ng a furious solo, from an entirely new version of ~Robert le Diable~, which he was giving with novel effects through the medium of a speaking-trumpet.
Verdant found his bed-room inconveniently small; so
[56 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]
contracted, indeed, in its dimensions, that his toilette was not completed without his elbows having first suffered severe abrasions.
His mechanical turnip showed him that he had no time to lose, and the furious ringing of a bell, whose noise was echoed by the bells of other colleges, made him dress with a rapidity quite unusual, and hurry down stairs and across quad. to the chapel steps, up which a throng of students were hastening. Nearly all betrayed symptoms of having been aroused from their sleep without having had any spare time <vg056.jpg> for an elaborate toilette, and many, indeed, were completing it, by thrusting themselves into surplices and gowns as they hurried up the steps.
Mr. Fosbrooke was one of these; and when he saw Verdant close to him, he benevolently recognized him, and said, ”Let me put you up to a wrinkle. When they ring you up sharp for chapel, don't you lose any time about your absolutions, - was.h.i.+ng, you know; but just jump into a pair of bags and Wellingtons; clap a top-coat on you, and b.u.t.ton it up to the chin, and there you are, ready dressed in the twinkling of a bed-post.”
Before Mr. Verdant Green could at all comprehend why a person should jump into two bags, instead of dressing himself in the normal manner, they went through the ante-chapel, or ”Court of the Gentiles,” as Mr.
Fosbrooke termed it, and entered the choir of the chapel through a screen elaborately decorated in the Jacobean style, with pillars and arches, and festoons of fruit and flowers, and bells and pomegranates. On either side of the door were two men, who quickly glanced
[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 57]
at each one who pa.s.sed, and as quickly p.r.i.c.ked a mark against his name on the chapel lists. As the freshman went by, they made a careful study of his person, and took mental daguerreotypes of his features. Seeing no beadle, or pew-opener (or, for the matter of that, any pews), or any one to direct him to a place, Mr. Verdant Green quietly took a seat in the first place that he found empty, which happened to be the stall on the <vg057.jpg> right hand of the door. Unconscious of the trespa.s.s he was committing, he at once put his cap to his face and knelt down; but he had no sooner risen from his knees, than he found an imposing-looking Don, as large as life and quite as natural, who was staring at him with the greatest astonishment, and motioning him to immediately ”come out of that!”
This our hero did with the greatest speed and confusion, and sank breathless on the end of the nearest bench; when, just as in his agitation, he had again said his prayer, the service fortunately commenced, and somewhat relieved him of his embarra.s.sment.
Although he had the glories of Magdalen, Merton, and New
[58 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]
College chapels fresh in his mind, yet Verdant was considerably impressed with the solemn beauties of his own college chapel. He admired its harmonious proportions, and the elaborate carving of its decorated tracery. He noted every thing: the great eagle that seemed to be spreading its wings for an upward flight, - the pavement of black and white marble, - the dark canopied stalls, rich with the later work of Grinling Gibbons, - the elegant tracery of the windows; and he lost himself in <vg058.jpg> a solemn reverie as he looked up at the saintly forms through which the rays of the morning sun streamed in rainbow tints.
But the lesson had just begun; and the man on Verdant's right appeared to be attentively following it. Our freshman, however, could not help seeing the book, and, much to his astonishment, he found it to be a Livy, out of which his neighbour was getting up his morning's lecture. He was still more astonished, when the lesson had come to an end, by being suddenly pulled back when he attempted to rise, and finding the streamers of his gown had been put to a use never intended for them, by being tied round the finial of the stall behind him, - the silly work of a boyish gentleman, who, in his desire to play off a practical joke on a freshman, forgot the sacredness of the place where college rules compelled him to shew himself on morning parade.
[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 59]
Chapel over, our hero hurried back to his rooms, and there, to his great joy, found a budget of letters from home; and surely the little items of intelligence that made up the news of the Manor Green had never seemed to possess such interest as now! The reading and re-reading of these occupied him during the whole of breakfast-time; and Mr. Filcher found him still engaged in perusing them when he came to clear away the things. Then it was that Verdant discovered the extended meaning that the word ”perquisites” possesses in the eyes of <vg059.jpg> a scout, for, to a remark that he had made, Robert replied in a tone of surprise, ”Put away these bits o' things as is left, sir!” and then added, with an air of mild correction, ”you see, sir, you's fresh to the place, and don't know that gentlemen never likes that sort o' thing done ~here~, sir; but you gets your commons, sir, fresh and fresh every morning and evening, which must be much more agreeable to the 'ealth than a heating of stale bread and such like. No, sir!” continued Mr. Filcher, with a manner that was truly parental, ”no sir! you trust to me, sir, and I'll take care of your things, I will.” And from the way that he carried off the eatables, it seemed probable that he would make good his words. But our freshman felt considerable awe of his scout, and murmuring broken accents, that sounded like ”ignorance - customs - University,” he
[60 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]
endeavoured, by a liberal use of his pocket-handkerchief, to appear as if he were not blus.h.i.+ng.
As Mr. Slowcoach had told him that he would not have to begin lectures until the following day, and as the Greek play fixed for the lecture was one with which he had been made well acquainted by Mr.
Larkyns, Verdant began to consider what he could do with himself, when the thought of Mr. Larkyns suggested the idea that his son Charles had probably by this time returned to college. He determined therefore <vg060.jpg> at once to go in search of him; and looking out a letter which the rector had commissioned him to deliver to his son, he inquired of Robert, if he was aware whether Mr.
Charles Larkyns had come back from his holidays.
”'Ollidays, sir?,” said Mr. Filcher. ”Oh! I see, sir! Vacation, you mean, sir. Young gentlemen as is ~men~, sir, likes to call their 'ollidays by a different name to boys', sir. Yes, sir, Mr. Charles Larkyns, he come up last arternoon, sir; but he and Mr. Smalls, the gent as he's been down with this vacation, the same as had these rooms, sir, they didn't come to 'All, sir, but went and had their dinners comfortable at the Star, sir; and very pleasant they made theirselves; and Thomas, their scout, sir, has had quite a horder for sober-water this morning, sir.”