Mr. Chittenden was never tired of dinning into us the astonishing
merits of a pupil who had been at the school eleven or twelve
years before us. This model boy apparently had the most
extraordinary mental gifts, and had never broken any of the rules.
Mr. Chittenden predicted a brilliant future for him, and would not
be surprised should he eventually become Prime Minister. The
paragon had had a distinguished career at Eton, and was at present
at Cambridge, where he was certain to do equally well. From having
this Admirable Crichton perpetually held up to us as an example,
we grew rather tired of his name, much as the Athenians wearied at
constantly hearing Aristides described as "the just." At length we
heard that the pattern-boy would spend two days at Hoddesdon on
his way back to Cambridge. We were all very anxious to see him. As
Mr. Chittenden confidently predicted that he would one day become
Prime Minister, I formed a mental picture of him as being like my
uncle, Lord John Russell, the only Prime Minister I knew. He would
be very short, and would have his neck swathed in a high black-
satin stock.
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