kill most people, only they are always selected for their strength, -
and height," he added, as a brilliant idea just struck
him. They had turned down Magpie Lane, and so by Oriel College,
where one of the fire-plug notices had caught Mr. Larkyns' eye. "You
see that," he said; "well, that's one of the plates they put up to
record the Vice's height. F.P. 7 feet, you see: the initials of his
name, - Frederick Plumptre!"

"He scarcely seemed so tall as that," said our hero, "though
certainly a tall man. But the gown makes a difference, I suppose."
"His height was a very lucky thing for him, however," continued Mr.
Larkyns; "I dare say when you have heard that it was only those who
stood high in the University that were elected to rule it, you little
thought of the true meaning of the term?"

"I certainly never did," said the freshman, innocently; "but I knew
that the customs of Oxford must of course be very different from
those of other places."

"Yes, you'll soon find that out," replied Mr. Larkyns, meaningly.
"But here we are at Merton, whose Merton ale is as celebrated as
Burton ale. You see the man giving in the letters to
the porter? Well, he's one of their principal men. Each college
does its own postal department; and at Merton there are fourteen
postmasters,* for they get no end of letters there."

"Oh, yes!" said our hero, "I remember Mr. Larkyns, - your father, the
rector, I mean, - telling us that the son of one of his old friends
had been a postmaster of Merton; but I fancied that he had said it
had something to do with a scholarship."