you up; but the - the fatigues of travelling yesterday," continued
Mr. Larkyns, as a lively recollection of the preceding evening's
symposium stole over his mind, "made me rather later than usual this
morning. Have you done any thing in this way?"

Verdant replied that he had breakfasted, although he had not done
any thing in the way of cigars, because he never smoked.

"Never smoked! Is it possible!" exclaimed Mr. Smalls, violently
interrupting himself in the perusal of ~Tintinnabulum's Life~, while
some private signals were rapidly telegraphed between him and Mr.
Larkyns; "ah! you'll soon get the better of that weakness! Now, as
you're a freshman, you'll perhaps allow me to give you a little
advice. The Germans, you know, would never be the deep readers that
they are, unless they smoked; and I should advise you to go to the
Vice-Chancellor as soon as possible, and ask him for an order for
some weeds. He'd be delighted to think you are beginning to set to
work so soon!" To which our hero replied, that he was much obliged
to Mr. Smalls for his kind advice, and if such were the customs of
the place, he should do his best to fulfil them.

"Perhaps you'll be surprised at our simple repast, Verdant," said Mr.
Larkyns; "but it's our misfortune. It all comes of hard reading and
late hours: the midnight oil, you know, must be supplied, and ~will~
be paid for; the nervous system gets strained to excess, and you have
to call in the doctor. Well, what does he do? Why, he prescribes a
regular course of tonics; and I flatter myself that I am a very
docile patient, and take my bitter beer regularly, and without
complaining." In proof of which Mr. Charles Larkyns took a long pull
at the pewter.