Glad to see you so early." His hand was out towards Dick Lee, as he spoke; and they all had what Ford afterwards called "a good square shake of it," by the time they recovered their tongues, and replied to that genial, hearty, encouraging welcome.
Dick couldn't have helped it, if he had tried,--and he somehow forgot to try,--a broad grin of delight spread all over his face, as he looked up in that of the doctor.
The latter himself was smiling a good deal as if he could not help it, but he did not know the exact reason why every one of those boys looked so cheerful just then.
The thought in Ford's mind came within an inch of getting out over his tongue.
"Dwarf?
Why, he's more like a giant.

How Joe and Fuz Hart did spin it!" The great man was certainly a good "six feet two," and all his bodily proportions were correspondingly ample.
Frank Harley was the last to be shaken hands with, and so had time to think,-- "Afraid of him?
Why, he's too big to be afraid of.

We're all right." That was the whole truth.

Dr.Brandegee was too big, in mind as well as body, for any boy of their size to feel at all uneasy after the first half-minute of looking in his calm, broad, thoughtful face.

Every member of that quartet began to feel a queer sort of impatience to tell all he knew about books.
The doctor mentioned the fact that he had that morning received letters from their parents and friends, announcing their arrival; but the oddity of it was that he seemed to know, at sight, the right name for each boy, and the right boy for each name.
"He might have guessed at Dick," thought Ford; "but how did he know me ?" Perhaps a quarter of a century spent in receiving, classifying, and managing young gentlemen of all sorts had given the man of learning special faculties for his work.
"I shall have to ask you a few questions, my young friends; but I think there will be little difficulty in assigning you your places and studies.