Part 7 (2/2)
[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 61]
With somewhat of a feeling of wonder how one scout contrived to know so much of the proceedings of gentlemen who were waited on by another scout, and wholly ignorant of his allusion to his fellow-servant's dealings in soda-water, Mr. Verdant Green inquired where he could find Mr. Larkyns, and as the rooms were but just on the other side of the quad., he put on his hat, and made his way to them. The scout was just going into the room, so our hero gave a tap at the door and followed him.
CHAPTER VII.
MR. VERDANT GREEN CALLS ON A GENTLEMAN WHO ”IS LICENSED TO SELL.”
MR. VERDANT GREEN found himself in a room that had a pleasant look-out over the gardens of Brazenface, from which a n.o.ble chestnut tree brought its pyramids of bloom close up to the very windows. The walls of the room were decorated with engravings in gilt frames, their variety of subject denoting the catholic taste of their proprietor. ”The start for the Derby,” and other coloured hunting prints, shewed his taste for the field and horseflesh; Landseer's ”Distinguished Member of the Humane Society,” ”Dignity and Impudence,” and others, displayed his fondness for dog-flesh; while Byron beauties, ”Amy Robsart,” and some extremely ~au naturel~ pets of the ballet, proclaimed his pa.s.sion for the fair s.e.x in general.
Over the fire-place was a mirror (for Mr. Charles Larkyns was not averse to the reflection of his good-looking features, and was rather glad than otherwise of ”an excuse for the gla.s.s,”) its frame stuck full of tradesmen's cards and (unpaid) bills, invites, ”bits of pasteboard” pencilled with a mystic ”wine,” and other odds and ends: - no private letters though! Mr. Larkyns was too wary to leave his ”family secrets” for the delectation of his scout. Over the mirror was displayed a fox's mask, gazing vacantly from between two brushes; leaving the spectator to imagine that Mr. Charles Larkyns was a second Nimrod, and had in some way or other been intimately concerned in the capture of these trophies of the chase. This supposition of the imaginative spectator would be strengthened by the appearance of a list of hunting appointments (of the past season) pinned up over a list of lectures, and not quite in character with the tabular views of prophecies, kings of Israel and Judah, and the Thirty-nine Articles, which did duty elsewhere on the walls, where they were presumed to be studied in spare minutes - which were remarkably spare indeed.
[62 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]
The sporting character of the proprietor of the rooms was further suggested by the huge pair of antlers over the door, bearing on their tines a collection of sticks, whips, and spurs; while, to prove that Mr. Larkyns was not wholly taken up by the charms of the chase, fis.h.i.+ng-rods, tandem-whips, cricket-bats, and Joe Mantons, were piled up in odd corners; and single-sticks, boxing-gloves, and foils, gracefully arranged upon the walls, shewed that he occasionally devoted himself to athletic pursuits. An ingenious wire-rack for pipes and meerschaums, and the presence of one or two suspicious-looking boxes, labelled ”collorados,” ”regalia,”
”lukotilla,” and with other unknown words, seemed to intimate, that if Mr. Larkyns was no smoker himself, he at least kept a bountiful supply of ”smoke” for his friends; but the perfumed cloud that was proceeding from his lips as Verdant entered the room, dispelled all doubts on the subject.
He was much changed in appearance during the somewhat long interval since Verdant had last seen him, and his handsome features had a.s.sumed a more manly, though perhaps a more rakish look. He was lolling on a couch in the ~neglige~ attire of dressing-gown and slippers, with his pink striped s.h.i.+rt comfortably open at the neck.
Lounging in an easy chair opposite to him was a gentleman clad in tartan-plaid, whose face might only be partially discerned through the gla.s.s bottom of a pewter, out of which he was draining the last draught. Between them was a table covered with the ordinary appointments for a breakfast, and the extra-ordinary ones of beer-cup and soda-water. Two Skye terriers, hearing a strange footstep, immediately barked out a challenge of ”Who goes there?” and made Mr.
Larkyns aware that an intruder was at hand.
Slightly turning his head, he dimly saw through the smoke a spectacled figure taking off his hat, and holding out an envelope, and without looking further, he said, ”It's no use coming here, young man, and stealing a march in this way! I don't owe ~you~ any thing; and if I did, it is not convenient to pay it. I told Spavin not to send me any more of his confounded reminders; so go back and tell him that he'll find it all right in the long-run, and that I'm really going to read this term, and shall stump the examiners at last. And now, my friend, you'd better make yourself scarce and vanis.h.!.+ You know where the door lies!”
Our hero was so confounded at this unusual manner of receiving a friend, that he was some little time before he could gasp out, ”Why, Charles Larkyns - don't you remember me? Verdant Green!”
Mr. Larkyns, astonished in his turn, jumped up directly, and came to him with outstretched hands. ”'Pon my word,
[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 63]
old fellow,” he said, ”I really beg you ten thousand pardons for not recognizing you; but you are so altered - allow me to add, improved, - since I last saw you; you were not a bashaw of two tails, then, you know; and, really, wearing your beaver up, like Hamlet's uncle, I altogether took you for a dun. For I am a victim of a very remarkable monomania. There are in this place wretched beings calling themselves tradesmen, who labour under the impression that I owe them what they facetiously term little bills; and though I have frequently a.s.sured <vg063.jpg> their messengers, who are kind enough to come here to inquire for Mr. Larkyns, that that unfortunate gentleman has been obliged to hide himself from persecution in a convent abroad, yet the wretches still hammer at my oak, and disturb my peace of mind. But bring yourself to an anchor, old fellow! This man is Smalls; a capital fellow, whose chief merit consists in his devotion to literature; indeed, he reads so hard that he is called a ~fast~ man. Smalls! let me introduce my friend Verdant Green, a freshman, - ahem! - and the proprietor, I believe, of your old rooms.”
Our hero made a profound bow to Mr. Smalls, who returned it with great gravity, and said he ”had great pleasure in forming the acquaintance of a freshman like Mr. Verdant Green;” which was doubtless quite true; and he then evinced his devotion to literature by continuing the perusal of one of those
[64 ADVENTURES OF MR. VERDANT GREEN]
vivid and refined accounts of ”a rattling set-to between n.o.bby Buffer and Hammer Sykes,” for which ~Tintinnabulum's Life~ is so justly famous.
”I heard from my governor,” said Mr. Larkyns, ”that you were coming up; and in the course of the morning I should have come and looked you up; but the - the fatigues of travelling yesterday,” continued Mr. Larkyns, as a lively recollection of the preceding evening's symposium stole over his mind, ”made me rather later than usual this morning. Have you done any thing in this way?”
Verdant replied that he had breakfasted, although he had not done any thing in the way of cigars, because he never smoked.
”Never smoked! Is it possible!” exclaimed Mr. Smalls, violently interrupting himself in the perusal of ~Tintinnabulum's Life~, while some private signals were rapidly telegraphed between him and Mr.
Larkyns; ”ah! you'll soon get the better of that weakness! Now, as you're a freshman, you'll perhaps allow me to give you a little advice. The Germans, you know, would never be the deep readers that they are, unless they smoked; and I should advise you to go to the Vice-Chancellor as soon as possible, and ask him for an order for some weeds. He'd be delighted to think you are beginning to set to work so soon!” To which our hero replied, that he was much obliged to Mr. Smalls for his kind advice, and if such were the customs of the place, he should do his best to fulfil them.
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