“If he does, tell him so and so,” said I, giving _veracious_ Thomas his instructions, and putting a guinea into his hand to sharpen his memory. “Phil, my dear fellow, don’t shew your face out of college for this fortnight. You twig! God bless you.”--I had barely time to get to my own room, to have my toga and trencher beside me, Newton and Aristotle before me--optics, mechanics, and hydrostatics, strewed around in learned confusion, when my uncle drove up to the gate. “Porter, I wish to see Mr. ------,” said he; “is he in his rooms?” “Yes, Sir; I saw him take a heap of books there ten minutes ago.” This was not the first bouncer the Essence of Truth, as Thomas was known through college, had told for me; nor the last he got well paid for. “Ay! Very likely; reads very hard, I dare say?” “No doubt of that, I believe, Sir,” said Thomas, as bold as brass. “You audacious fellow! how dare you look in my face and tell me such a deliberate falsehood? You know he’s not in college!” “Not in college! Sir; as I hope----” “None of your hopes or fears to me. Shew me his rooms.--If two hours ago I did not see ------. See him,--yes, I’ve seen him, and he’s seen the last of me.” He had now reached my rooms; and never shall I forget his look of astonishment, of amazement bordering on incredulity, when I calmly came forward, took his hand, and welcomed him to Cambridge. “My dear Sir, how are you? What lucky wind has blown you here?”--“What George! who--what--why--I can’t believe my eyes!”--“How happy I am to see you!” I continued; “How kind of you to come! How well you’re looking!”--“How people may be deceived! My dear George (speaking rapidly), I met a fellow, in a tandem, in the Haymarket, so like you in every particular, that I hailed him at once. The puppy disowned me--affected to cut a joke--and drove off. Never was I more taken off my stilts. I came down directly, with four post-horses, to tell your tutor; to tell the master; to tell all the college, that I would have nothing more to do with you; that I would be responsible for your debts no longer; to inclose you fifty pounds and disown you for ever”--My dear Sir, how singular!”--Singular! I wonder at perjury no longer, for my part. I would have gone into any court of justice, and would have taken my oath it was you. I never saw such a likeness. Your father and the fellow’s mother were acquainted, or I’m mistaken. The air, the height, the voice, all but the manner, and--that was _not_ yours. No, no, you never would have treated your uncle so.”--“How rejoiced I am, that--”