The Professor

the narrow street leading to my lodgings. It was dark when I opened the front door and walked into the house. I wondered how my fire would be; the night was cold,

is person my acquaintance, Mr. Hunsden. I could not of course be much pleased to see him, considering the manner in which I had parted from him the night before, and as I walked to the hearth, stirred the fire, and said coolly, “Good evening,” my demeanour evinced as little cordiality as I felt; yet I wondered in my own mind what had brought him there; and I wondered,

of gratitude,” we

one, for I am much too poor to charge my

came in I found your fire out, and I had it lit again, and made that sulky drab of a servan

ing to eat; I can thank nob

nd ordered tea an

closed the door, “what a glutton you are; man

ting him; I was irritated with hunger, and irritated at seeing h

hat makes you so ill

a pragmatical opinion without being acquainted with any

sh enough, and Hunsden only replied

has it? What! I suppose its master would not let it come home.

nd butter and cold beef directly. Having cleared a plateful, I became so far humanized as to intimate to M

resh pull of the bell-rope, and intimated a desire to have a glass of toast-and-water.

wheeled his chair round to the

ed. “You are out o

up the subject as though I considered myself aggrieved rather than benefited by what had been done. “Yes — thanks to you, I

signalling the lads, did he? What had he to s

ou a treache

they met him; you used the word pragmatical just now — that word is the property of our family; it has been applied to us from generation to generation; we have fine noses for abuses; we scent a scoundrel a mile off; we are reformers born, radical reformers; and it was impossible for me to live in the same town with Crimsworth, to come into weekly contac

er, and because it explained his motives; it interested me so much that I forgot

ul to me?” he a

se. Impossible to answer his blunt question in the affirmative, so I disclaimed all tendency to gratitude, and advised him if he expected any reward for his championship, to look for it in a

ugh the hands of a tyrant, for I tell you Crimsworth is a tyrant — a tyrant to h

a salary is a salary. I’ve lost

as that last. I had imagined now, from my previous observation of your character, that the sentimental delight you would have taken in your newly regai

ve, and to live I must have what you call ‘the needful,’ which I ca

ly. “You have influential relations; I suppose

s? Who? I should like

Seaco

I have c

ked at me i

I, “and that

they have cut

s and the recompence; I withdrew from my cold uncles, and preferred throwing myself into my elder brother’s arms

is; a similar demi-manifestation of feeling a

down into my heart. Having sat a minute or two with his chin resting on his ha

then nothing to expec

ed with the ink of a counting-house, soiled with the grease of a wool-wareh

such a complete Seacombe in appearance, feature, lan

ned me; so talk

egret it,

N

not,

ple with whom I could eve

u are one

thing at all about it; I am my mothe

n obscure and not a very wealthy one, and the other a

my uncles, I could not have stooped with a good enough grace ever to have won their favou

ed your wisest plan was to fol

ill the day of my death; because I can neither com

that the whole affair is no business of mine. “He stretched himself and again yawned

ers past six

l not meddle with trade again?” said he

think

, after all, you’ll think better of your

y whole inner and outer man before I do that.

nk so?” interrupted

make a good clergyman; and rather than adopt a profession for which I

desman or a parson; you can’t be a lawyer, or a doctor, or a ge

without

with a vile English accent, no doubt — still, you can speak it.

e to go!” exclaimed I w

to Brussels, for instance, for five or six po

uld teach me

t there. I know Brussels almost as well as I know X—— and I

pation is to be had; and how could I get recommend

vance a step before you know every inch of the way

I guessed what he was going to do. He sat down, wrote a few lin

run their neck into a noose without seeing how they are to get it out again, and you’re right there. A reckless man is my aversion, and nothing should

roduction, I suppose?” s

tion, which, I know, you will regard as a degradation — so should I, for that matter. The person to wh

just suit m

e?” demanded Mr. Hunsden; “don’t

e eighteen years ago,” was my rather irrelevant answer; and I further avowed m

ur grat

to-morrow, if all be well: I’ll not sta

ment for the assistance you have received; be quick! It i

I want a key there is on the corner of the mantel

clock st

to himself. I had half an inclination to follow him: I really intended to leave X—— the next morning

we shall meet again som