“I was awfully homesick,” says Tom, with perfect trustfulness; “and mother told me that you were once a very dear friend of hers; so I thought I would come up and see you.” The Professor is bewildered. Still he is a gentleman; so he smiles, and says to Tom:―― “Pray be seated. Your mother is well, I trust.” “Oh, yes!” says Tom. “Perhaps, as she hasn’t seen you since before I was born, I ought to have said who she was. Her name was Spencer.” The Professor turns quickly. Tom proceeds with entire unconsciousness:―― “She often speaks of you, sir, and always in a way that has made me want to know you.” “I am very glad, Tom,” said the Professor. “You must excuse my calling you by your first name; but then you are the son of――your mother.” Any one but Tom, who never noticed anything, would have seen here that the Professor’s manner was peculiar. But Tom is always so brightly ignorant of what is before his eyes, that the Professor recovers his self-possession, and says calmly:―― “And your mother is well, I hope?” “Oh, yes!” said Tom; “very well, but a little sad at my leaving home. She is very fond of me, sir.” “Strange fact!” said the Professor, dryly. “And I see that you are equally fond of her. I am not given to moralizing; but I think that college life will not decay you, if you don’t forget how much you are to your mother,――how unhappy you can make her.” “Forget her?” said Tom; “not I! When I am at home, I make love to her all the time.” “Then,” said the Professor, “it is well that you have left home; for it will soon be time for you to make love to some one else.” As the Professor makes this observation, there is another knock at the door, and Ned enters. Who is Ned? Ned is the original of the sitting figure in the little picture over the fireplace. He is despotic in character, and has therefore many sincere friends and enemies. He is fearless when indignant, and is indignant easily. He is not handsome as Tom is,――for Tom’s beauty charms you immediately, and the charm is never broken; but he has a curious grace and fascination of manner when he is not perverse; but then, he often is perverse. The Professor cannot tell whether he likes Ned, or not. He has been giving Ned private tuition, to fit him for college, for nearly a year. All their acquaintance hitherto has been one of business, all their conversation confined to an occasional dry remark on either side. Now, when their contract is fulfilled, the Professor cannot imagine why Ned should take advantage of his general invitation, and visit him. Still he asks Ned to be seated, and then enters into conversation with him.