hours; attendance was mostly voluntary, and they in no way affected a boy's position in the school.

After reading Mr. Sargeaunt's careful description of the work in school, the classics read in the several forms, and the attention given to various subjects, it is unnecessary for me to say much as to work in school. Besides this, my recollections are vague on the subject, for though during my six years' stay I rose gradually from Upper Fourth to Sixth Form, I am afraid that I was never a pupil to be proud of, attending to work and picking up all I could during school, but doing little in the way of preparation before. Dr. Liddell, when receiving the report of our form, once said to me and a brother oarsman, poor Lewis Williams: You and Markham row in the same boat, and if you wish to be watermen, you had better go and be apprenticed at once.' I can remember the nasal tone of his voice when he made this rather bitter remark; however, I generally got my remove in good time, and gradually ploughed my way up to the Sixth Form, finishing my career there under Liddell, and for a few months under our new Headmaster, Scott.

CHAPTER IV

'UP GRANT'S'

Downstairs-The 'Chiswicks '-The hall-Games in the yard-Old house bills-Upstairs-Practical jokes and adventures.

AND now for a few recollections of my old boardinghouse, Grant's. Entering from the door over the double flight of steps (for all three houses in the row had the double flight of steps, the same as the under-master's still has), you found yourself in a passage, with the matron's room (Mrs. Crowther's) on the left and Marshall's library on the right. Then on the right a well staircase leading up to all rooms above, and down to the kitchen and lower regions. Beyond this was a room used as a study, with the wall of the Chiswicks' blocking the view, and with the area below. I never belonged to that room. Beyond the matron's room was Marshall's sitting-room, looking down the yard at the back, with area below. Over the low blind of the window he had a full view of the yard and the passage to the hall. On one side of the yard was a high brick wall belonging to Weare's house, and the walls of College and the sanatorium were on the far side. On the right of the yard were the three 'Chiswicks,' opening one into the other, [ 33 ]

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that of the Sixth Form being the innermost. These 'Chiswicks' were small studies; there were 'Chiswicks' also 'up Rigaud's.' In former days there was a house at Chiswick occupied as a country residence by the Headmaster, who often took a few boys down there for what we North Country folk call the weekend-Saturday and Sunday; it was also used as a sanatorium if required. This house was sold, and the new studies, 'Chiswicks,' were built from the proceeds of the sale. These 'Chiswicks' were occupied by the Sixth Form, the Shell, and the Fifth Form. The windows looked out on a covered passage which led to the hall; here we all had our meals, the house master and the matron always dining with us. In the hall the small boys under the Fifth Form did their work and played on wet days; there was a long table down the window side, and an-shaped table across the far end of the room, coming round to the fireplace, which was in the centre of the side facing the windows, leaving a wide space between the long table and the fire. So far, all is much the same now in 1903-as it was then. The offices were at the low end of the yard, where also there was a door through the old Abbey wall into College Street; this door was never left open. The wall was unscaleable, and the lock not to be forced or tampered with. One peculiar game we played in this yard was called 'fiveand-a-header'; it was played against a wall with a fives ball. A line was drawn 8 or 10 feet from the

wall, which you toed; you then threw the ball so as to strike first the ground, then the wall, and bound

back to you. You had to catch it five times, and meet it with your head on the sixth bound-' fiveand-a-header.' If you both did this all right, you then toed another line further back, and did the same again. The penalty for failure was the fun of the game; the culprit stood round the corner at the far end of the hall facing the wall, and showed his hand out beyond the corner, when each of the other players in turn had a shot at it from a prescribed distance. The penalized one could not see the thrower, so it was no use trying to dodge, and you never knew when the ball was coming. There was not space for any real games, but a small form of racquets, or even cricket on a small scale, served to pass odd half-hours during afternoon 'lockers' on half-school days.

So much for the lower floor and yard upstairs. The first-floor was occupied by Marshall, Mrs. Crowther, and the sick-room; on the second-floor there were four large rooms, holding about six beds each; the third-floor or garret had, I think, six smaller rooms, one of which owned the small oval window in the gable, the others looking out on the gutter that ran round the house. These rooms on the top-floor were occupied by the Shell and the Sixth, all Sixth Form boys having separate rooms. There was a sink and tap on the first and second landing, cold water only; the lighting at night (except on the stairs, where there was gas) was by small patent candlesticks worked on the carriage-lamp principle, the candle being pushed up from below by a spring, and showing only the wick. There was some locking arrangement which closed the

works securely, but after you had lighted one candle you held the top of another over the flame till it warmed up, and then out came our shy friend, in an attenuated form, and we had a good light. The rooms on the second-floor had a long range of washing-stands in front of the windows, with basin, etc., for each boy. It is sad to think of, but tubs were then unknown; now the rooms fairly reek with tubs. I do not think we ever got a real good over-all wash in the winter halves. From the side-windows on the top-floor you could get out on the roof, whence you had a fine view of London and of any fires that might occur. I remember well the great fire at Broadwood's Pianoforte Works, with piles of seasoned mahogany blazing away. On a fine night, the apex of the roof, with your back to the chimney, was a favourite place for a smoke. By passing along the parapet, past Mr. Weare's, I used to get on to the roof of College, climb to the top, hop along the ridge seated, till opposite the tall chimney-stack above the wire-racquet court, and then slide down the tiles to the back of the chimney, which was always a safe find for a few racquet balls; the only danger was the chance of being spotted by one of Weare's maids as you passed his garret windows. Either I chose my time well or the maids winked at my proceedings, for I was never caught, or, at all events, pulled up for this amusement; and the best of it was that it was my own invention, and I kept it to myself. It is not patented, and I have no further use for it. I cannot remember entering Rigaud's house in the same way, although at one time I often used to climb over the tops of our