Oxford Days; or, How Ross Got His DegreeWeatherly, F. E. (Frederic Edward)
History
Oxford Days; or, How Ross Got His Degree
Weatherly, F. E. (Frederic Edward)
University of Oxford
At the Porter’s advice, Frank took a cab and drove to the “Clarendon,”
paid his bill, got his luggage together, and drove back to college. By
this time the Porter had the list of the newly-allotted rooms.
“Yours are No. 5, sir, three-pair right.”
Frank stared.
“No. 5 over the doorway, sir,” he then explained, pointing across the
quadrangle to a doorway, over which Frank discerned the wished-for
number; “three flights o’ stairs; the rooms on the right hand. No. 5,
three-pair right--that’s how we call it. You’ll find your scout there.
You’re too late for dinner. The hall-bell went twenty minutes ago.”
Frank crossed the quadrangle, climbed the stairs, and found his rooms.
They were neither large, nor particularly clean, as regarded paper and
paint; and the carpets and coverings were decidedly dingy. But they
were _his_ rooms, and he was an Oxford man! and that was _his_ scout
bustling in from the rooms opposite to welcome him. After a little
conversation, the fact of his ownership became still more apparent, for
the scout proceeded to show him a collection of glass and china and
household implements, on the merits and absolute necessity of which
he enlarged. The mere transfer of glass and china supplies a nice
little addition to the scout’s perquisites. The articles are, in the
first instance, purchased by some undergraduate who prefers his own
choice to what his scout has ready to offer him. He, on leaving his
rooms, bequeaths them to his scout. Custom is so tyrannical in Oxford.
The scout sells the articles to the next tenant, who, in his turn,
bequeaths them to the same willing legatee, when again they are sold to
the new-comer. How long this goes on it is hard to say. Sometimes the
smooth course is interrupted by some strong-minded undergraduate, who,
ignoring custom, takes his effects with him when he leaves. The little
bill was as follows:--
FRANK ROSS, ESQ., _to_ WILLIAM GREEN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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