Justthentheoily-headedclerkannouncedthatMr。Ransonwasatliberty。Sotheybothwentintoseehim，andtherestmaybeimagined。Thetrusteesundertooktopayhisexpenses，eveniftheyhadtostretchapointtodoso，andgavehim￡20togoonwith，alsoaletterofintroductiontoScoones，whomhewasinstructedtoseeandarrangetojointheirclasses。ThenGeneralCubittehustledoff，tellinghimtocometodineatanaddressinKensingtontwonightslaterand“reporthimself。“
SowithinlessthananhourGodfrey’sfuturecareerwassettled。Hecameoutoftheofficefeelingratherdazedbuthappierthanwhenhewentin，andinquiredhiswaytoGarrickStreet，wherehewasinformedthatMr。Scooneshadhisestablishment。Hefoundtheplaceand，bygoodluck，foundMr。Scoonesalso，akindly，keen，white-hairedman，whoreadtheletter，madeafewinquiriesandputhimthroughabriefexamination。
“Yourinformationisvariedandpeculiar，“hesaid，“andnotofthesortthatgenerallyappealstoHerMajesty’sexaminers。Still，Iseethatyouhaveintelligenceand，ofcourse，theFrenchisanasset；
alsotheliteraturetosomeextent，andtheLatin，thoughthesewouldhavecountedmorehadyoubeengoingupfortheIndianCivil。Ithinkwecangetyouthroughinthreemonthsifyouwillwork；italldependsonthat。Youwillfindalotofyoungmenhereofwhomquiteseventypercent。donothing，exceptseelife。Verynicefellowsintheirway，butifyouwanttogetintoSandhurst，keepclearofthem。
Now，mytermopensnextMonday。IwillwritetoGeneralCubitteandtellhimwhatIthinkofyou，alsothatthefeesarepayableinadvance。Good-bye，gladyouhappenedtocatchme，whichyouwouldnothavedonehalfanhourlater，asIamgoingoutoftown。Atteno’clocknextMonday，please。“
Afterthis，notknowingwhattodo，GodfreyreturnedtotheGreatEasternHotelandwrotealettertohisfather，inwhich，baldlyenough，heexplainedwhathadhappened。
Havingposteditintheboxinthehall，hebethoughthimthathemustfindsomeplacetolivein，asthehotelwastooexpensiveforapermanence，andwasmakinginquiriesoftheporterastohowheshouldsetaboutthematterwhenatelegramwashandedtohim。Itran：“AllupasIexpected。MeetmeLiverpoolStreet4。30——Nurse。“
SoGodfreypostponedhissearchforlodgings，andattheappointedhourkepttheassignationontheplatform。Thetrainarrived，andoutofit，lookingmuchmorelikeheroldselfthanshehadonthepreviousday，emergedMrs。Parsonswiththemostextraordinarycollectionofbundles，hecountednineofthem，tosaynothingofajackdawinacage。Sheembracedhimwithenthusiasm，droppingtheheaviestoftheparcels，whichseemedtocontainbricks，uponhistoe，andinafloodoflanguagetoldhimofthepeculiarawfulnessoftherowbetweenhisfatherandherselfwhichhadensueduponhisdeparture。
“Yes，“sheended，“heflungmymoneyatmyheadandIflungitbackathis，thoughafterwardsIpickeditupagain，foritisnousewastinggoodgoldandsilver。AndsohereIam，beginninglifeagain，likeyou，andfeelingthirtyyearsyoungerforit。Now，tellmewhatyouaregoingtodo？“
Thentheywentandhadteaintherefreshmentroom，leavingthejackdawandtheotherimpedimentsinchargeofaporter，andhetoldher。
“That’sfirst-rate，“shesaid。“Ialwayshatedtheideaofseeingyouwithablackcoatonyourback。TheQueen’suniformlooksmuchbetter，andIwantyoutobeaman。Nowyouhelpmeintoacabandbydinnertimeto-morrowI’llbereadyforyouatmyhouseatHampstead，ifI
havetoworkallnighttodoit。Terms——drattheterms。Well，ifyoumusthavethem，MasterGodfrey，tenshillingsaweekwillbemorethanyouwillcostme，andIoughttogiveyoufivebackforyourcompany。
NowI’llmakeastart，fortherewillbealottodobeforetheplaceisfitforayounggentleman。I’veneverseenitbuttwice，youknow。“
Soshedeparted，packedintoafour-wheeledcab，withthejackdawonherlap，andGodfreywenttoMadameTussaud’s，wherehestudiedtheguillotineandtheChamberofHorrors。
Onthefollowingmorning，havingfurtherimprovedhismindattheTower，hetookacabalso，andinduecoursearrivedatHampsteadwithhisbelongings。Theplacetooksomefinding，foritwasonthetopofahillinanold-fashioned，outofthewaypartofthesuburb，butwhenfoundprovedtobedelightful。Itwasalittlesquarehouse，builtofstone，onwhichtheoldbuilderhadlavishedallhisskillandcare，sothatiniteverythingwasperfect，withagardenbothinfrontandbehind。Thefloorswerelaidinoak，thelittlehallwasoak-panelled，therewerehotandcoldwaterineveryroom，andsoforth。Moreover，anoddmanwaswaitingtocarryinhisthings，andinoneofthefrontsitting-rooms，whichwasexcellentlyfurnished，satMrs。Parsonsknittingasthoughshehadbeenthereforyears。
“Hereyouare，“shesaid，“justasIwasbeginningtogettiredofhavingnothingtodo。Lord!whatafusswemakeaboutthingsbeforeweface’em。Afteralltheyain’tnothingbutbubbles。Blowthemandtheyburst。Lookhere，MasterGodfrey，“andshewavedherhandaboutthesitting-room。“Prettyneat，ain’tit？Well，Ithoughtitwouldbeallofahugger-mugger。ButwhatdidIfind？Thatthosetenantshadbeenjewelsandlefteverythinglikeanewpin，tosaynothingofimprovements，suchasanEaglerange。Moreover，thecaretakerisapoliceman’swifeandaverynicewomanalwaysreadytohelpforatrifle，andthatmanthatbroughtinyourboxesisarelativeofherswhodoesgardeningjobsandsuch-like。Now，comeandseeyourrooms，“
andsheledhimwithprideintoacapitalbackapartmentwithalargewindow，infactanoldTudoronewhichthebuilderhadproducedsomewhere，togetherwiththepanellingonthewalls。
“That’syourstudy，“shesaid，“bookshelvesandallcomplete。Now，followme，“andshetookhimupstairstoareallycharmingbedroom。
“But，“saidGodfrey，surveyingthesesplendours，“thismustbethebestroominthehouse。Wheredoyousleep？“
“Oh!atthebackthere，mydear。Yousee，Iamaccustomedtoasmallchamberandshouldn’tbehappyinthisbigone。Besides，youaregoingtopaymerentandmustbeaccommodated。Andnowcomedowntoyourdinner。“
Averygooddinneritwas，cookedbythepoliceman’swife，whichMrs。
Parsonsinsistedonserving，asshewouldnotsitatthetablewithhim。Inshort，Godfreyfoundhimselfinclover，acircumstancethatfilledhimwithsomesadness。Why，hewondered，shouldhealwaysbemadesomiserableathomeandsohappywhenhewasaway？Thenherememberedthatfamouslineaboutthemanwhothroughoutlifeeverfoundhiswarmestwelcomeataninn，andperceivedthatithidmuchphilosophy。Frequentlyenoughhomesarenotwhatfondfancypaintsthem，whileinthebosomofstrangersthereismuchkindliness。
NowwemayomitagreatdealfromGodfrey’syouthfulcareer。Withinafewdayshereceivedaletterfromhisfatherforwardedtohimfromthehotel，thatwasevenmoreunpleasantthanthemajorityofthepaternalepistlestowhichhewasaccustomed。Mr。Knight，probablyfromhonestconvictionandamisreadingofthefactsoflife，wasoneofthosepersonswhoarecalledPacifists。Althoughhenevercarriedoutthedoctrineinhisownsmallaffairs，hebelievedthatnationswereenjoinedbydivinedecreetoturntheothercheekandindeedeveryportionoftheircorporateframetothesmiter，andthatbysodoing，insomemysteriousway，theywouldattaintoprofoundpeaceandfelicity。Consequentlyhehatedarmies，especiallyastheseinvolvedtaxation，andloathedthetradeofsoldiering，whichheconsideredoneoflicensedmurder。
Thedecisionofhissontoadoptthiscareerwasthereforeabitterblowtohim，concerningwhichheexpressedhisfeelingsintheplainestlanguage，endinghisepistlebyintimatinghisstrongconvictionthatGodfrey，havingtakenthesword，wasdestinedtoperishbythesword。AlsohepointedouttohimthathehadturnedhisbackuponGodWhowouldcertainlyremembertheaffront，being，heremarked，“ajealousGod，“andlastlythatthelesstheysawofeachotherinfuture——herehewasreferringtohimself，nottotheDivinityasthecontextwouldseemtoimply——thebetteritwouldbeforbothofthem。
Furthertherewasapostscriptaboutthedisgracefulconductofthewoman，Mrs。Parsons，who，afterreceivingtheshelterofhishouseformanyyears，hadmadeasceneanddeparted，leavinghiminthelurch。
Hisinjunctionwasthatundernocircumstancesshouldhe，Godfrey，haveanythingmoretodowiththisviolentandtreacherousfemalewhohadmadehimapretextofquarrel，and，havinglearnedthathehadmoney，doubtlesswishedtogetsomethingoutofhim。
Godfreydidnotanswerthisletter，nordidhisfatherwritetohimagainforquitealongwhile。
Fortherest，ontheappointedMondayhepresentedhimselfatGarrickStreet，andbeganhiscourseoftuitionunderthegeneraldirectionofthewiseMr。Scoones，“cramming“asitwascalled。This，indeed，exactlydescribestheprocess，forallknowledgewasrejectedexceptthatwhichwaslikelytoobtainmarksinthecourseofanexaminationbyhide-boundpersonsappointedtoascertainwhoweretheindividualsbestfittedtobeappointedtovariousbranchesofthePublicService。
Anythinglesscalculatedtosecuretheselectionofsuitablementhansuchasystemcannotwellbeimagined。However，itwasthatwhichcertainnebulousauthoritieshaddecreedshouldprevail，andtherewasanendofit，althoughineffectitinvolved，andstillinvolves，thefrequentsacrificeofthosequalitiesandcharacteristicswhichareessentialtoapublicservant，toothersthatarequitethereverse。
Forinstance，toaparrot-likememoryandthepowerofacquiringasuperficialacquaintancewithmuchmiscellaneousinformationandrememberingthesamefor，say，sixmonths。
Althoughhehatedthebusinessandthoughtwithlongingofhisstudies，stellarandother，intheKleindorfobservatory，Godfreywasquitecleverenoughtocollectwhatwasneeded。Infact，somethreemonthslaterhepassedhisexaminationwitheaseabouthalf-wayupthelist，anddulyenteredSandhurst。
HefoundtheestablishmentatGarrickStreetjustsuchaplaceasitsownerhaddescribed。Initweremanycharmingbutidleyoungmen，oftenwithacertainamountofmeans，whoweregoingupfortheDiplomaticService，theForeignOffice，theIndianCivil，orvariousbranchesofthearmy。Ofthesealargeproportionenjoyedlifebutdidlittleelse，andinduecoursefailedintheircompetitiveencounterswiththeexaminers。