These of course were not obtained without several visits to the unsuspicious guarantors; or at least one to Mr.Price in Paper Buildings, for whom it was enough that David claimed to be Welsh and showed a very keen interest in the Welsh tongue and its Indo-German affinities, and three or four to Mr.Mark Stansfield, K.C., one of the nicest, kindliest and most learned persons David had ever met, whom he grieved deeply at deceiving.

Stansfield had a high opinion of Rossiter.

The fact that he recommended David was quite sufficient to secure his "guarantee." But apart from that, he felt himself greatly drawn towards this rather shy, grave, nice-looking young fellow with the steady eyes and the keen intelligence.

He had him to dine and to lunch; drew him out--as far as David thought it prudent to go--and was surprised David had never been to a University ("Only to Malvern--and then I studied with an architect in London--Who?
Mr.Praed, A.R.A .-- but then I travelled for a bit, and after that I felt more than ever I wanted to go in for the Bar"-- said David, with a charming smile which lit up his young face ordinarily so staid).

Stansfield consented that David should come and read with him, and in many ways facilitated his progress so materially and so kindly that more than once the compunctious young Welshman thought of discarding the impersonation; and might have done so had not this most estimable Stansfield died of pneumonia in the last year of David's studenthood.
Of course the preliminary examination was easily and quickly passed.
David translated his bit of Caesar's commentaries, answered brilliantly the questions about Alfred the Great, the Anglo-Norman kings, the Constitutions of Clarendon, Magna Charta and Mortmain, Henry the Eighth and the Reformation, the Civil War and Protectorate of Cromwell, the Bill of Rights and the Holy Alliance.
He paid his fees and his "caution" money; he ate the requisite six dinners--or more, as he found them excellent and convenient--in each term, attended all the lectures that interested him, and passed the subsidiary examinations on them with fair or even high credit; and finally got through his "Call-to-the-Bar" examination with tolerable success; at any rate he passed.