CHAPTER V.
Dobbin of Ours Cuff's fight with Dobbin, and the unexpected issue of that contest, will long be remembered by every man who was educated at Dr.
Swishtail's famous school.

The latter Youth (who used to be called Heigh-ho Dobbin, Gee-ho Dobbin, and by many other names indicative of puerile contempt) was the quietest, the clumsiest, and, as it seemed, the dullest of all Dr.Swishtail's young gentlemen.

His parent was a grocer in the city: and it was bruited abroad that he was admitted into Dr.Swishtail's academy upon what are called "mutual principles"-- that is to say, the expenses of his board and schooling were defrayed by his father in goods, not money; and he stood there--most at the bottom of the school--in his scraggy corduroys and jacket, through the seams of which his great big bones were bursting--as the representative of so many pounds of tea, candles, sugar, mottled-soap, plums (of which a very mild proportion was supplied for the puddings of the establishment), and other commodities.

A dreadful day it was for young Dobbin when one of the youngsters of the school, having run into the town upon a poaching excursion for hardbake and polonies, espied the cart of Dobbin & Rudge, Grocers and Oilmen, Thames Street, London, at the Doctor's door, discharging a cargo of the wares in which the firm dealt.
Young Dobbin had no peace after that.

The jokes were frightful, and merciless against him.