Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

CHARLES AT THE UNIVERSITY. 45
come and interfere, the noise was so terrible. Five out-college
men had knocked out at a quarter to three, refusing to give any
name but the dean's. A rocket had been let up, and a five-barrel
revolver had been let off, and —Charles Ravenshoe had been
sent for.
A party of young gentlemen, who looked very seedy and guilty,
stood in his way, and as he came up shook their heads sorrowfully; one, a tall one, with large whiskers, sat down in the gravel
walk, and made as though he would have cast dust upon his
head.
" This is a bad job, Charley," said one of them.
" Some heads must fall," said Charles; " I hope mine is not
among the number. Rather a shame if it is, eh? "
The man with the big whiskers shook his head.'6 The state
of your room," he said.
"Who has seen it? " eagerly asked Charles.
"Sleeping innocent," replied the other, "the porter was up
there by eight o'clock, and at half-past the dean himself was
gazing on your unconscious face, as you lay peacefully sleeping
in the arms of desolation."
Charles whistled long and loud, and proceeded with a sinking
heart towards the dean's rooms.
A tall, pale man, with a hard, marked countenance, was sitting
at his breakfast, who, as soon as he saw his visitor, regarded him
with the greatest interest, and buttered a piece of toast.
" Well, Mr. Ravenshoe," was his remark.
"I believe you sent for me, sir," said Charles, adding to himself, " Confound you, you cruel old brute, you are amusing yourself with my tortures."
" This is a pretty business," said the dean.
Charles would be glad to know to what he alluded.
"Well," said the dean, laughing, " I don't exactly know where
to begin. However, I am not sure it much matters. You will
be wanted in the common room at two. The proctor has sent for
your character also. Altogether, I congratulate you. Your career
at the University has been brilliant; but, your orbit being highly
elliptical, it is to be feared that you will remain but a short time
above the horizon. Good morning."
Charles rejoined the eager knot of friends outside; and, when
he spoke the awful word " common room," every countenance
wore a look of dismay. Five more, it appeared, were sent for,
and three were wanted by the proctor at eleven. It was a disastrous morning.
There was a large breakfast in the rooms of the man with the
whiskers, to which all the unfortunates were of course going.
One or two were in a state of badly concealed terror, and fidgeted