Walter hastened to place a chair for his visitor.
“I am glad to see you, General Wall,” he said.
“Ahem! you are quite pleasantly situated, Mr. Howard,” said the great man, sitting down.
“Yes, sir; I am quite satisfied with my boarding place.”
“I hope you like our town, also.”
“I have found my residence here very pleasant thus far.”
“I must do you the justice to say that your services as a teacher have proved generally satisfactory.”
“I am glad to hear you say so.”
“You may depend upon it that public sentiment is strongly in your favor. I have occasion to know from my official relation to the school.”
“Things have gone very smoothly. I believe the relations between the scholars and myself have been very friendly. Peter Groot was at first inclined to make trouble, but he is now one of my strongest supporters.”