A figure full of dash and fine irony, and whose ridicule seemed to bite; buoyant with the joy of life; self-conscious; an offensive egoist envy in his love-making; of supreme and unsurpassable insolence, veiled and shrouded in his fine quality of manner." He returned to Trinity after his absence and graduated in 1871 with a degree in science, he then stayed on to earn his masters degree in pure mathematics. After graduation he assumed a position as the unpaid drama critic for the "Evening Mail," he also wrote short stories on the side. A year later, in 1872, The London Society published his short story The Crystal Cup, and in 1875 his four part serial The Chain of Destiny this was Bram's first horror story. At about this same time he quit his job at the Evening Mail to take a job as drama critic at the Dublin Mail. Three years later he became editor of The Halfpenny Press, but quit after four months. In 1876 Henry Irving returned to Dublin, Stoker went to see Irving in the play Hamlet. Stoker praised the actor in his newspaper column when he wrote; "In his fits of passion there is a realism that no one but a genius can ever effect." Irving read this the next morning and asked the manager of the theater to introduce him to Bram, they met that night for dinner at the Shelbourne Hotel. Stoker saw Irving in Hamlet two more time hoping to find some flaw in the performance. Stoker and Irving met often and soon discovered they had much in common and became quick friends. On December 11th, 1876 Irving was awarded two honors from Trinity College, the first was an address drafted by Stoker, the second was a performance of Hamlet starring Irving himself. After Irving left Stoker continued his job as a clerk at Dublin Castle. In 1878 he was promoted to Inspector of Petty Sessions, he received a pay raise but this also required him to travel for weeks at a time. Because of this he missed opening nights, so he resigned his job as drama critic of the Dublin Mail.
