From the leaves of his blotting-paper he took a letter which he had apparently been interrupted in writing.

He took it out in a quick, business-like way, and dipped his pen in the ink as though, to finish rapidly; but then he sat still until the pen dried, and no further word had been added.

Again he dipped his pen, and again let it dry.

If the first sentence of the letter had taken as long to compose as the second, it was no wonder that a caller had caused an interruption.
The letter, as it lay before him, had about a third of its page written in a neat, forcible hand.

The arms of his young college were printed at the top.