The future rising steps to which Rufus looked forward so confidently, were yet far away.

He owed a bill at the tailor's; and had besides one or two other little accounts unsettled, which it had been impossible to avoid, and was now impossible to leave.
Therefore he must not leave Shagarack.

The first thing to do was to clear these hindrances from his way.

So he entered his name as law-reader at the little office of Mr.Shamminy, to save time, and took a tutorship in the College to earn money.
He had the tutorship of the Junior Greek class, which his father loved to tell he carried further than ever a class had been carried before; but that was not all; he had a number of other recitations to attend which left him, with the necessary studies, scant time for reading law.

That little was made the most of and the year was gained.
All the year was needed to free himself from these cobweb bindings that held him fast at Shagarack.