He faced round sharply, as if this were the most ordinary errand in his life, and went limping across the inner courtyard till he disappeared from view behind a massive column. He returned shortly and delivered his message in a very tolerable imitation of the language of Cæsar. "Their worships, Master Sandvoort and Master Quellinus, are free from business for the present, and will see you in their chambers." So bidding Nicol stay in the courtyard, lest he should shame me before these grave seniors (though ’twas unlikely enough, seeing they knew no Scots), I followed the hobbling porter through the broad quadrangle, up a long staircase adorned with many statues set in niches in the wall, to a landing whence opened many doors. At one of them my guide knocked softly, and a harsh voice bade us enter. "This is Master Sandvoort," he whispered in my ear, "and I trust he be not in one of his tantrums. See ye speak him fair, sir." I found myself in a high-panelled room, filled with books, and with a table in front of a fireplace, whereat a man sat writing. He wore a skullcap of purple velvet, and the ordinary black gown of the doctor. His face was thin and hard, with lines across the brow and the heaviness below the eye which all have who study overmuch. His hair was turning to grey, but his short, pointed beard was still black. He had very shaggy eyebrows, under which his sharp eyes shone like the points of a needle. Such was Master Herman Sandvoort, professor of the Latin language in the ancient college of Leyden. His first question to me was in the Latin. "What tongue do you speak?" I answered that I was conversant with the English, the French, and the Latin. "Your letters, pray," he asked in French, and I took them from my pocket and gave them to him. "Ah," he cried, reading aloud, "you desire to study in this university, and improve your acquaintance with certain branches of letters and philosophy. So be it. My fee is five crowns for attendance at my lectures. I will not abate one tittle of it. I will have no more poor students come cringing and begging to be let off with two. So understand my terms, Master Burnette." I was both angry and surprised. Who was this man to address me thus? "I pray you to finish the letter," I said curtly. He read on for a little while, then he lifted his head and looked at me with so comical an expression that I had almost laughed. Before, his face had been greedy and cold; now it was worse, for the greed was still there, but the coldness had vanished and left in its place a sickly look of servility.