"Verdant," smilingly suggested Mr. Green.

"I beg your par-don," apologized Dr. Portman; "but I dare say that he
will do as you say, for in-deed, my friend Lar-kyns speaks well of
him."

"I am delighted - proud!" murmured Mr. Green, while Verdant felt
himself blushing up to his spectacles.

"We are ve-ry full," Dr. Portman went on to say, "but as I do ex-pect
great things from Mis-ter Vir-gin --- Verdant, Verdant, I have put some
rooms at his ser-vice; and if you would like to see them, my ser-vant
shall shew you the way." The servant was accordingly summoned, and
received orders to that effect; while the Master told Verdant that he
must,


[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 35]

at two o'clock, present himself to Mr. Slowcoach, his tutor, who
would examine him for his matriculation.

"I am sor-ry, Mis-ter Green," said Dr. Portman, "that my
en-gage-ments will pre-vent me from ask-ing you and Mis-ter Virg--
Ver-dant, to dine with me to-day; but I do hope that the next time
you come to Ox-ford I shall be more for-tu-nate."

Old John, the Common-room man, who had heard this speech made to
hundreds of "governors" through many generations of freshmen, could