But it made me quite sad to find myself there without you and Margaret.

All my old Oxford associations are gone.

Oxford, instead of being, as it used to be, the magnificent old city of the seventeenth century,--still preserving its antique character among the improvements of modern times, and exhibiting in the midst of upstart Birminghams and Manchesters the same aspect which it wore when Charles held his court at Christchurch, and Rupert led his cavalry over Magdalene Bridge, is now to me only the place where I was so happy with my little sisters.

But I was restored to mirth, and even to indecorous mirth, by what happened after we had left the fine old place behind us.

There was a young fellow of about five-and-twenty, mustachioed and smartly dressed, in the coach with me.