Middlemas and Hartley were
therefore associated in their studies. In winter they were boarded in
Edinburgh, for attending the medical classes which were necessary for
taking their degree. Three or four years thus passed on, and, from being
mere boys, the two medical aspirants shot up into young men, who, being
both very good-looking, well dressed, well bred, and having money in
their pockets, became personages of some importance in the little town
of Middlemas, where there was scarce any thing that could be termed an
aristocracy, and in which beaux were scarce and belles were plenty.
Each of the two had his especial partizans; for though the young men
themselves lived in tolerable harmony together, yet, as usual in such
cases, no one could approve of one of them, without at the same time
comparing him with, and asserting his superiority over his companion.
Both were gay, fond of dancing, and sedulous attendants on the
_practeezings_, as he called them, of Mr. McFittoch, a dancing master,
who, itinerant during the summer, became stationary in the winter season,
and afforded the youth of Middlemas the benefit of his instructions at the
rate of twenty lessons for five shillings sterling. On these occasions,
each of Dr. Gray's pupils had his appropriate praise. Hartley danced
with most spirit--Middlemas with a better grace. Mr. McFittoch would
have turned out Richard against the country-side in the minuet, and
wagered the thing dearest to him in the world, (and that was his kit,)
upon his assured superiority; but he admitted Hartley was superior to
him in hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels.
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