Amabel Vaughan.

" Oh ! yes , " said the boys Avith great glee . " Well , he has a rather large nose , IIOAV I think of it , " Mark added . " And UOAV , boys , whore ' s the tuck shop ? T suppose , by the Avay , " and he paused , " that , as you are just going to dinner , you Avon't care to have some grub IIOAV ? " " Oh ! shouldn't Ave ! '' said the young gentleman who Avas brought up Avith a round turn , " Oh ! dear no , not at all ! not by no manner of means ! " he added in a comic way there was no resisting .

"And what ' s your name , you young scapegrace ? " " Pitcher , " said the boy . " Diggory Pentlray Pitcher . " "Ah ! there was a boy of that surname , he couldn't boast so distinguished a christian name , on my form under old S ., " mentioning a well-known master in the school . Well , old S . was deaf , and Pitcher had such an enormous mouth that standing opposite S . in class he could tAvist it round and prompt the boys right and left Avithout S . seeing ; of course he couldn't hear . "

" Oh . ' crikey ! " said the hoy brought up Avith the round turn , " Avhat a whopper !' "Quite true , 1 assure you , " Mark Avent on , " aud IIOAV boys AVIIO ' for the grub shop ? " Away the boys Avent , there Avere six of them , and Mark folloAved . They got inside , he shut the door and then stood 3 s . or 4 s . in cakes and pies for the AA'hole of the boys who were there , and then ivished them " good bye . " The hoys greeted him with a cheer , and then three times three , "for he ' s a jolly good fellow , " ancl all that sort of thingwith voices which echoed iu the old cloistersand argued Avell for

, , for the state of their lungs , and as he turned to walk out of the school the great , bell rang for dinner . A sudden desire seized him to see the boys once again at dinner in the . Great Hall , and he turned and strolled back leisurely , walked through the cloisters , across the hall playground which looks out inNcAvgate Street , up the grand staircase of the magnificent granite structure ( which is in the Tudor' style of architecture , ancl built in 1825 , when the Duke of York laid the foundation stone , ) and into the Great Hall .

The 700 or 800 boys were arranged down on either side the long oak tables , the nurses were standing at the heads of their respective wards , the monitors were facing the boys , tAvo to each Avard , the Grecians Avere all at their cioss table at the end of the noble room , and the Warden and Matron occupied their respective places on a sort of raised dais under the great central stained glass Avindow filled Avith tho armorial bearings of the Kings and Princes , Presidents and Patrons of this Royal Charity . Three solemn strokes with the gavel brought the boys on their feet , a brief service was said and sung , " a long grace over short commons , " as Dickens Avould say , ancl then the meal began .

The Warden SHAV a stranger , and thought , no doubt , he had no business there , for strangers as a rule are not admitted except occasionally into the galleries at either end of the building , or at the great Lenten public suppers , when all the world goes , Mark went , hoAvevcr , straight up to him and introduced himself , and then stood and looked round . Yes , there was the quaint old picture , said to be by Holbein , of Edward the VI . granting the charter to Christ ' s and the other Royal Hospitals . There was the enormous painting of the Blue Coat hoys at Court in the time of Charles the SecondAvhich it was said took so long to docontaining

, , something like 100 figures all as large as life , that the king died meanwhile and James the Second ' s head had to be substituted . How Avell he remembered sitting at table just beneath this picture , flicking the pats of butter by a dexterous effort of the bent back thin blade of the knife , Avhich sent them Avith almost the force of a catapult on the King or Courtier ' s cheek , and IIOAV delighted the boys Avere , though they Avere not Republicans , if they could only hit the King .

Then there Avere the Avell remembered full length portraits of the Queen and Prince Consort , a number of dingy gentlemen , aldermen and merchants of London of the 17 th and 18 fch centuries , "St . John in Patmos , " Avhich one boy said was very like Patmos , a gentleman in near peril of being SAvallowed by a shark , a very interesting picture , to the boys , especially those of a nautical term of mind , and other interesting paintings . Then all round the hall were the oaken shields emblazoned with the arms of the Presidents and Treasurers of the Institution from its founding in 1552 to the present