There was a smart brush at the school a few days later, which resulted
in the cutting of Slegge's comb. The Doctor was seated at his
study-table, with the open French window letting in the fresh morning
breeze and giving him a view, when he raised his eyes from his book,
right across the cricket-field to the clump of elms, when there was a
tap at the door, responded to by the customary "Come in!" and Mr
Rampson entered.
"Ah, good-morning, Mr Rampson," said the Doctor suavely.
"Good-morning, sir. Could you give me a few minutes?"
"Certainly, Mr Rampson," replied the Doctor, sitting back. "Have you
something to report?"
"Well, no, sir, not exactly, but--er, but er--I er--thought I should
like to ask you if I had given you satisfaction in connection with my
pupils."
"Yes, Mr Rampson," said the Doctor, raising his eyebrows; "but why--oh,
I see, you want to speak to me and tell me that you have had a more
lucrative offer."
"Oh no, sir; I am quite satisfied here, where I have been so long,
but--"
"Well, Mr Rampson, what is it? You wish me to increase your stipend?"
"No, sir, I do not; but I don't want to suddenly find myself supplanted
by another master through the machinations of a brother-teacher."
"Don't speak angrily, Mr Rampson. Pray, who has been trying to
supplant you?"
"Well, sir, I am a blunt man, and I have come to speak out. I am afraid
that Morris--why, I know not--has been introducing this Professor
Barclay to you to try to get him in my post."
"Indeed, Mr Rampson!" said the Doctor, with a smile. "Well, then, let
me set you at your ease at once. Morris did not introduce this
gentleman, for he came to me with an introduction from one of the
professors at Addiscombe, a gentleman I do not know from Adam. I find
that he has been for a few months a resident in the town here, where he
is carrying on some study. Morris seems to know him a little, and tells
me that he has visited him two or three times at his apartments. I
questioned him as to who the man was, and his antecedents, which seemed
to be satisfactory. I did so after his presenting his letter of
introduction and some testimonials. I thought that it would be only
civil to ask him to dinner and explain to him that it was perfectly
hopeless for him to expect anything from me; and, in short, one feels a
little sympathetic towards a cultivated gentleman who is seeking to
obtain an appointment in a none-too-well-paid profession. So now you
see, my dear Mr Rampson, that you have not the slightest cause for
uneasiness."
"Dr Bewley," cried Rampson excitedly, "you don't know how you have
relieved my mind!"
"I am very glad, Rampson; and let me take this opportunity of telling
you that--Bless my heart! what is the meaning of this?"
"Of what, sir?" cried Rampson, startled by the speaker's earnestness.
"Look over yonder beyond the elms. Scandalous! Disgraceful! And after
all that I have said! I will not have it, Rampson."
"But, sir, I--"
"Don't you see that there's a fight going on? Just as if it were a
common school. Come with me at once."
The Doctor set aside his stately march and hurried out through the open
window, bare-headed, and closely followed by his assistant.
There, through the elms and close up to the grey park-fence beyond, the
whole school seemed to have assembled, and plainly enough at intervals
there was the quick movement of two contending figures, while the
clustering boys around heaved and swayed as they watched the encounter,
quite forgetful in their excitement of the possibility of their being
seen from the house.
Dr Bewley did not run, but went nearer to it than he had been since he
wrote DD at the end of his name and gave up cricket; while before they
were half-way across the cricket-field Mr Rampson was emitting puffs
suggesting that the motive-power by which he moved was connected with a
modern utilisation of steam.
So intent was the little scholastic crowd beyond the row of tree-trunks
which with the park-palings beyond formed the arena, that not a head was
turned to see the approach of the masters and give the alarm. The
consequence was that the latter were getting close up and able to make
out that a fierce fight was going on between Slegge and Glyn Severn, the
former seconded by Burney, the latter by the young Prince.
There was no shouting, no sound of egging on by the juvenile spectators,
only an intense silence, punctuated by a hoarse panting sound, the
trampling of feet, and the _pat, pat_, of blows.
The last of these was a heavy one, delivered right from the shoulder
with all his remaining force--for the boy was pretty well exhausted--by
Glyn Severn; and it was just as the Doctor was filling his capacious
chest with the breath necessary after his hurried advance to deliver a
stern command to cease fighting. But before he uttered a word his
biggest pupil came staggering back towards the ring of boys on the
Doctor's side, and as they hurriedly gave way down came Slegge flat upon
his back at the fresh-comer's feet.
After delivering his final blow, Glyn Severn nearly followed his
impulse, and had hard work to check himself from falling flat upon his
adversary. As it was, he dropped only upon one knee, rose again
painfully, and stood with bruised and bleeding face gazing blankly at
his stern preceptor, who now thundered out in his deepest tones, "What
is the meaning of this?"
At the sight of the Doctor a thrill ran through the little throng; and,
moved as by one impulse, there was the suggestion of a rush for safety.
But the thunderous tones of the Doctor's voice seemed to freeze every
young abettor in his steps.
"Do you hear me, sirs?" cried the Doctor again. "What is the meaning of
this?"
It was the smallest boy of the school who replied, in a shrill voice
full of excitement, conveying the very plain truth:
"Fight, sir. Tom Slegge and one of the new boys."
"Silence!" thundered the Doctor. "You know my rules, and that I have
forbidden fighting. Here, somebody, one of the high form boys--you,
Burney, let me hear what you have to say. Speak out, sir. Ah, you have
been seconder, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir," faltered the lad, whose hands showed unpleasant traces of
what he had been doing.
"Ah," continued the Doctor.--"Mr Rampson, see that not a boy dares to
move.--Now, Burney, let me hear the whole truth of this from beginning
to end. No suppression, sir, from favour or fear. I want the
straightforward truth. Who began this disgraceful business?--Stop! Mr
Rampson, here. Is that boy Slegge much hurt?"
"A bit stunned, sir, and stupid with his injuries, but he's all right,
sir; he's coming round," and in proof thereof Slegge, with the
assistance of the master's hands, struggled to his feet, and stood
shaking his head as if he felt a wasp in his ear, and then promptly sat
down again.
"Now, Burney," cried the Doctor, "speak out. Who began this?"
The boy addressed glanced at the Doctor and then at Slegge, while his
lips parted; but he uttered no sound.
"Do you hear me, sir?" roared the Doctor.
"Big Tom Slegge, sir," came from the shrill little fellow who had before
spoken.
The Doctor frowningly held up one big white finger at the little
speaker, who shrank back amongst his fellows.
"I saw that look of yours, Burney," said the Doctor sternly, "and I read
its meaning, sir. It seemed to appeal to your older schoolfellow, one
of the principals in this disgraceful encounter, asking him if you might
speak out. I'll answer for him. Yes, sir; and beware lest you, as a
gentleman's son, lower your position in my eyes by making any
suppression. What was the cause of the quarrel?"
Burney's face was working, for after the excitement of the fight and its
sudden ending he felt hysterically emotional, and in a broken voice the
truth came pouring forth.
"I can't help it, sir, and if he bullies me afterwards for speaking I
must tell all. Slegge's been jealous of both the new boys ever since
they came. He's been as disagreeable and spiteful as could be, and
forced us all to take his side."
"Yes, yes; go on," cried the Doctor, for the boy stopped with a gasp;
but he spoke more calmly afterwards. "He's been working it up, sir, for
a fight for days, out of jealousy because he thought more was made of
Singh and Severn than of him."
"Indeed!" said the Doctor, nodding his head.
"And when it came, sir, to them having such a fuss made over them about
their riding the elephant, and you asking them afterwards to dinner, it
was bound to come."
The boy stopped, and the Doctor turned to the classical master.
"Do you hear this, Mr Rampson?" he said, in his most sarcastic manner,
the one he adopted towards the most stupidly ignorant boys. "I presume
then that I ought to ask Mr Thomas Slegge's permission before asking
the two new pupils to my board."
"Yes, sir," burst out Burney, who had gathered breath and had now got
into the swing of speaking. "It was bound to come, sir. Slegge said he
should do it, and I can't help it if I do seem like a sneak for telling
all."
"Go on, Burney," said the Doctor. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Well, sir, he told all us seniors to be ready for the first chance
there was. He said--"
"Who said?" interrupted the Doctor. "Let us be perfectly correct."
"Slegge, sir. He said we were to be ready, for he was going to begin by
giving the nigger fits."
"By giving the nigger fits?" said the Doctor slowly. "And, pray, what
did he mean by that?"
"Licking Singh, sir; the new boy from India, sir."
"Oh," said the Doctor sarcastically. "But he has not been giving the
nigger fits."
"No, sir; next day he changed his mind, and said he'd let Severn have it
first."
"Have it first?" said the Doctor slowly. "Your language is not very
correct, Burney. But go on."
"Yes, sir. He sent word round this morning to all the boys except those
two that we were to meet down here by the elms; and when we did come,
just as he thought, Severn and Singh fancied there was some new game on,
and came to see. Then, sir, Slegge began at Severn, insulting him,
sir--yes, that he did. I'm not going to say everything he called him;
but he told him to stand up like a man and take his punishment."
"Yes; and what did Severn say?"
"He said, sir, he was not going to degrade himself by fighting like a
street blackguard; and then Slegge jeered and mocked at him and set us
all at him to call him coward and cur; and he ended, sir, by walking
straight up to him, and he asked him three times if he'd fight, and
Severn, sir, said he wouldn't, and then Slegge gave him a coward's
blow--one in the nose, sir, and made it bleed."
"Ah!" said the Doctor. "And what did Severn do?"
"Took out his pocket-handkerchief, sir, and wiped it."
"Exactly," said the Doctor, with grim seriousness, "and a very correct
thing too; that is," he continued hastily, as if he had some slight idea
of the suggestiveness of his remark, "I mean, that Severn behaved very
well in refusing to fight. But he turned upon Slegge, of course, after
such an incitement as that."
"No, sir, he didn't; he only stood there looking very red and with his
lips quivering, and looking quite wild and reproachful at Singh."
"Oh!" said the Doctor. "Then Singh has been in it too?"
"Yes, sir; Singh came at him like a lion, and said he was a coward and a
cur, and that they'd never be friends again. But Severn did not speak a
word, and before we knew what was going to happen next, Slegge took hold
of Singh's ear and asked him what it had to do with him, and he called
him a nigger and an impudent foreign brat; and almost before we knew
where we were, Singh hit Slegge quick as lightning, one-two right in the
face, and then stepped back and began to take off his jacket; but before
he could pull it off, Slegge got at him; and the boys hissed, sir, for
while Singh's hands were all in a tangle like in the sleeves, Slegge hit
him three or four times in the face; but it only made him fierce, and
getting rid of his jacket, he went at big Slegge."
"Ah!" ejaculated the Doctor. "Go on, Mr Burney."
"Slegge made a dash at him, sir; but Singh was too quick, and stepped on
one side; and when Slegge turned upon him again Severn sprang in between
them, snatched off his jacket, and crammed it into Singh's hands. And
then all the boys began to hooray."
"What for?" said the Doctor.
"Because Severn said, sir, out loud, `Not such a coward as you think,
Singhy. I must fight now.'"
"Bad--very bad," said the Doctor; "cowardly too--two boys to one."
"Oh no, sir; Singh didn't do any more. He only laughed, threw down the
jacket, and began slapping Severn on the back; and he seconded him, sir,
quite fair and square all through, just as if he knew all about
fighting, though he is a nig--Indian, sir. And there was a tremendous
fight, till, after being a good deal knocked about, Severn was getting
it all his own way, and finished off Slegge just as you came up, sir.
And that's the whole truth.--Isn't it, boys?"
There was a chorus of the word "Yes," and the Doctor drew a deep breath
as it came to an end. Then he uttered the interjection "Hah!" looked
very searchingly at Slegge, scanning the injuries he had received, and
afterwards made the same keen examination of Severn.
"Disgraceful!" he said at last, shaking his head and frowning. "Young
gentlemen, you will resume your studies at once.--Mr Rampson, will you
see that these two injured lads go to their dormitory directly. Mrs
Hamton will attend to their injuries and report to me whether it is
necessary for the surgeon to be called in.--You hear me, boys?" shouted
the Doctor. "Disperse at once. There will be a lecture in the theatre
in ten minutes' time.--Mr Rampson, there is to be no communication
between these two principals and the rest.--You, Burney, and you, Singh,
go on to my library."
The next minute the trampled arena was in silence, and the Doctor, with
his hands clasped behind him, was marching back alone towards his study,
going so slowly that every one who had formed a portion of the little
gathering had disappeared by the time he was half-way to the open French
window.
There was something peculiar about Dr Bewley's countenance as he slowly
marched back. For one minute it was placid, the next stern, and
directly after a slight quivering of the facial nerves developed into a
mirthful look, which was emphasised by a low, pleasant, chuckling laugh.
For the fact was that the tall, stern, portly Doctor's thoughts had
gone far back to his old schooldays and a victory he had once achieved
over the brutal bully of the school at which he had been placed. And
whether he was alluding to the tyrant of his days or to the one who had
lorded it for long enough in the establishment of which he was the head
must remain a mystery; but certain it was that the Doctor muttered
presently to himself, "An overbearing young ruffian! A thoroughly good
thrashing; and serve him right!"
The next moment the utterer of these words, which had fallen upon his
own ears only, was looking guiltily round as if in dread lest he might
have been heard. But there was no one visible but Sam Grigg, who was
brushing hard at boots by the entrance to his own particular outdoor
den; and he was too far away to hear; while, when the Doctor entered his
study, he was met at the door by Wrench, who announced that a lady was
waiting in the drawing-room, and he handed a card.
"Ha, yes, Wrench," said the Doctor. "About a new pupil. I will see her
directly.--Oh, Singh--Burney, you here? I will speak to you both
another time. One moment--this is private, boys. You both know--at
least, you do now, Burney, and you from henceforth must remember the
same, Singh--I allow no brutal fighting in my establishment; but I am
not very angry with you, my lads, for on the whole there was a display
of manliness in your conduct that I cannot find it in my heart to
condemn. There, you, Singh, can go and see your friend Severn.--And
you, Burney, h'm--humph--well, yes, go and see Slegge. You must not
forsake your companion now he is down."