"Well, what?"
"Less talking there," said Mr Rebble.
"Mind your own business," muttered my neighbour. "What did he say you'd
grow into?"
"A milksop; and that I must come and rough it among other boys."
"Ha! ha! what a game! You will have to rough it too, here. I say,
who's uncle?"
"My uncle, Colonel Seaborough."
"What's he?--a soldier too?"
"Yes; and I'm going to be a soldier by and by."
"Well, you are a lucky one! Wish I had an uncle who said I should be a
soldier. I shall have to be a doctor, I suppose."
Just then, the tall, thin boy pointed out to me a few minutes before as
Burr major, came across in a bending, undulating way, with an open book
in his hand, glanced up and down to see that the Doctor and his
lieutenant were both occupied, and then slipped into the seat at our
long desk on the other side of my neighbour, who did not give him time
to speak, but began rapidly,--
"I say, this new chap says he'll give you such a leathering if you shoot
peas at him."
"Eh? Like to see him begin," said the fresh comer, with a contemptuous
look at me. "I say, Senna T, you're in for it."
"What for?"
"Old Dicksee says you gave him some stuff last night, and it's made him
so bad he can't learn his lessons. He's going to tell the Doctor."
"Gammon! What do you want?"
"Less talking there," said Mr Rebble sharply.
"Hark at old Reb!" whispered the new-comer. "I say, we're going to have
a holiday to-day, ain't we?"
"No such luck."
"Oh, but we must! I've written this out. You'll sign, won't you?"
My neighbour snatched a document consisting of about half a dozen lines,
and pushed it back.
"He'll keep us in if we do."
"Not he. I know he wants to drive over to Hastings with the girls.
Sign, there's a good chap."
"But you haven't signed."
"No. I shall put my name last."
"Yah! Can't catch old birds with chaff, Eely."
"If you call me Eely again, I'll punch your head."
"You sign first, and I'll put my name next."
"Shan't! and if you don't put your name at once, I'll tear up the paper.
I don't want a holiday; it was all for you boys."
"Thank-ye," said my neighbour derisively.
"Just you wait till we're out in the field, Jalap, and I'll serve you
out for this."
"Burr junior," said a rich, deep, unctuous voice, which seemed to roll
through the school, and there was a dead silence.
"Here, you!--get up. Go on."
"Burr junior!" came in a louder, deeper voice.
"He means you," whispered my neighbour.
"Say _Adsum_," whispered the tall, thin boy, and, on the impulse given,
I repeated the Latin word feebly.
"Go up to him," whispered my neighbour, and, pulling my legs out from
between the form and the desk, I walked up through the centre opening
between the two rows of desks, conscious of tittering and whispering,
two or three words reaching my ears, such as "cane," "pickle," "catch it
certain."
Then, feeling hot and confused, I found myself on the dais in front of
the desk, where the Doctor was looking searchingly at me through his
gold-rimmed spectacles. Then, turning himself round, he slowly and
ponderously crossed one leg over the other, and waved his hand.
"Come to the side," he said, and feeling more conscious up there on the
dais, I moved round, and he took my hand.
"I am glad to welcome you among us, Frank, to join in our curriculum of
study, and I hope you will do us all credit. Er--rum! Let me see.
Burr--Frank Burr. We have another Burr here, who has stuck among us for
some years."
The Doctor paused and looked round with a very fat smile, in the midst
of a peculiar silence, till Mr Rebble at the other end said loudly,--
"Ha! ha! Excellent!" and there was now a loud burst of laughter.
I thought that I should not like Mr Rebble, but I saw that the Doctor
liked his appreciation of his joke, for he smiled pleasantly, and
continued,--
"Let me see. I think we have a pleasant little custom here, not more
honoured in the breach than in the observance. Eh, Mr Rebble?"
"Certainly, sir, certainly," said that gentleman, and the Doctor frowned
at his leg, as he smoothed it down. But his face cleared directly.
"Er--rum!" he continued, clearing his voice. "Of having a brief
cessation from our studies upon the advent of a new boy. Young
gentlemen, you may close your books for to-day."
There was a hearty cheer at this, and the Doctor rose, thrust his hand
into his breast beside his white shirt-frill, then, waving the other
majestically, he turned to me as the cheering ceased.
"Burr junior," he said, "you can return to your seat."
I stepped back, forgetting all about the dais, and fell rather heavily,
but sprang up again, scarlet with mortification.
"Not hurt? No? That's right," said the Doctor; and amid a chorus of
"Thank you, sir! thank you, sir!" he marched slowly out of the great
room, closely followed by Mr Rebble, while I stood, shaken by my fall,
and half dazed by the uproar.