"WITH FACES LIKE THIS."
Singh's encounter with Slegge had been very short, and when the Doctor
sent him in the tokens of the affray were very slight; but a few hours
afterwards certain discolorations were so manifest that the Doctor
frowned and told him he had better join his companion in the dormitory
for a few days and consider himself in Mrs Hamton's charge. Singh
hailed the order with delight, and went straight to his bedroom, where
the plump, pleasant, elderly housekeeper had just entered before him,
carrying a small basin half-full of some particular liniment-like
preparation of her own, a sponge, and a soft towel.
When Singh appeared at the door Glyn sat up so suddenly that he nearly
knocked over the basin that Mrs Hamton had given him to hold, after
spreading the soft towel in his lap, when she began sponging his face
with the preparation.
"Oh, my dear child," she cried, "pray, be careful!"
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the boy merrily.--"Oh, do look at him, Mrs
Hamton. What a guy!"
"Guy!" cried Singh sharply. "What do you mean?"
He dashed to the dressing-table and took his first look at his face in
the glass since he had dressed that morning.
"Oh, I say," he cried, "I never thought of this. Why, it's just like my
face was that day after the sergeant had shown us how to use the
boxing-gloves."
"Yes," cried Glyn merrily; "but what sort of a phiz would you have had
if you had fought it out?"
"One something like yours," cried Singh. "Oh, I say, you ought to talk!
What eyes! and your lip all cut. Why, your face is all on one side."
"Yes, isn't it shocking, my dear," said the old housekeeper. "I do hope
that it will be a lesson to you both. I never could understand why
young gentlemen were so fond of fighting."
"Oh, it's because it's so nice, Mrs Hamton," said Glyn, who spoke as if
he were in the height of glee.
"I don't believe you mean that, my dear; but there, lie back in the
chair again, and let me go on dabbing all your poor cuts and bruises
with this lotion and water. It's so cooling and healing, and it will
take all the inflammation out.--And don't you go, my dear," she
continued, turning to Singh, "till I have done your face over too."
"I am not going," said Singh quietly. "The Doctor sent me up here to
stop."
"Has he?" cried Glyn. "Oh, hurrah! Here, Mrs Hamton, another patient
for you to make decent.--I say, Singhy, she's just come from old Slegge.
I'm afraid I've made his face in a horrible mess."
"You have indeed, my dear," said the housekeeper reproachfully. "But
oh, what a pity it is that young gentlemen will so far forget
themselves! It grieves me; it does indeed."
"But I don't forget myself," protested Glyn. "I was obliged to fight.
You wouldn't have had me lie down and let him knock both of us about for
nothing, would you, nurse--I mean Mrs Hamton?"
"Oh, don't ask me, my dear; it's not for me to say; and you needn't mind
calling me nurse, for it always sounds nice and pleasant to me. There,
now, doesn't that feel cool and comforting?"
"Lovely," cried Glyn softly, and as he looked up in the pleasant face,
with its grey curls on either side, his eyes for the moment, what could
be seen of them, seemed to be sparkling with mischief and mirth, for
there was a feeling of pride and triumph at his success swelling in his
breast, and a few moments later, so great was the comfort he experienced
under the delicate manipulation of his motherly attendant's hands, that
he looked up at her and began to smile--only began, for he uttered an
ejaculation of pain.
"Oh, my dear, did I hurt you?" cried the housekeeper.
"No," said the boy, in rather a piteous tone; "it was my face. It's all
stiff and queer."
"Yes, I told you that it was one-sided," said Singh merrily.
"Well, never mind, my dear; it will soon be better," said the
housekeeper soothingly. "But you must do exactly what I tell you, and
be very patient and still."
"But, I say, look here, Mrs Hamton," cried Glyn, catching the hand
which was bearing the sponge and holding it to his cheek, to the old
lady's intense satisfaction, though somehow there came an unwonted look
of moisture in her eyes.
"What were you going to say, my dear? But, dear, dear, what a pity it
is that you should go and disfigure yourselves like this! What would
your poor father say if he knew?"
"Oh, I say, don't talk about it," cried Glyn.--"Fancy, Singhy, if he
could see us now!"
Glyn tried to whistle, but his puffed-up lips refused to give forth a
sound; and, seeing this, Singh whistled for him, and then in spite of
the pain and stiffness of their faces the two boys laughed till the
suffering became intense.
"Oh, don't, don't, don't, Singhy!" cried Glyn. "I can't bear it."
"Well, I never did see two such young gentlemen as you are," said the
old housekeeper, smiling in turn.
"You ought both to be lying back looking as melancholy as black, and
here you are making fun of your troubles. Ah, it's a fine thing, my
dears, to be boys and quite young; but I do hope that you will never
fight any more, and that you will both soon go and shake hands with Mr
Slegge, and tell him you are very sorry you hit him. I am sure that he
must feel very sorry that he ever hit you, he being so much bigger and
having so long had the advantage of being taught by the Doctor, who is
the best man that ever lived, while you two are so new, and you, Mr
Singh, so much younger than Mr Slegge that I do wonder he ever so far
forgot himself as to hit you. Now, you will make friends afterwards,
won't you?"
"No!" cried Singh sharply. "I hate the coward."
"Oh, my dear!" cried the old lady.
"He doesn't mean it, nursey," cried Glyn, getting hold of her hand
again. "He only said it because he feels so sore. He's got a sore face
and a sore temper; but it will be all right when he gets well."
"I hope so, my dear; and you will shake hands with him, won't you?"
"Yes," said Glyn merrily, "as soon as he holds out his. I can afford
to.--Can't I, Singhy?"
"Oh yes, of course."
"There," said the old lady, "now that's spoken nicely, and I don't think
I'll bathe your face any more.--Now, my dear," she continued to Singh,
"it's your turn."
"Oh, mine doesn't want doing, does it?" said the boy carelessly.
"Yes, my dear, and very badly too. If it isn't bathed with my lotion it
will go on swelling, and be more discoloured still."
"Oh!" cried the boy eagerly.--"Here, you, Glyn, get up out of that
chair. It's my turn now, as Mrs Hamton says," and he took another
glimpse at the glass. "There, I'm ready. Oh, I say, I do look a
wretch!"
Under the care of the good-natured old housekeeper during the next two
days a great deal of the swelling went down; but after the old lady's
report, and visits from the Doctor himself, they were both still treated
as infirmary patients, and relieved from lessons till such time as they
should be presentable amongst their fellows.
But on the third day the confinement was growing irksome in the extreme;
and the Doctor, after his daily visit, gave Singh permission to come
down into the grounds if he liked. But the boy did not like. A glance
at his companion in adversity revealed a disappointed look, and as soon
as the Doctor was gone he picked up one of the books with which they
were well supplied.
"Well," said Glyn gloomily, "why don't you go down?"
"Because I don't want to," was the reply; and no more was said.
But that afternoon soon after dinner, which was brought up to them by
the housekeeper on a folding-tray, and just when the irksomeness of
their position was pressing hardest upon their brains, there was a quick
step on the stairs, a sharp tap at the door, the handle was turned
without any waiting for permission, and Wrench's head was thrust in.
"I say, young gents," he cried, "here's a go!"
"What's the matter?" asked Glyn anxiously. "Don't say Slegge's worse."
"I wasn't going to, sir. It's something worse than that."
"What?"
"There's a gentleman along with the Doctor."
"A gentleman!" cried the boys together.
"Yes; a tall, military-looking gentleman, with long white starchers, and
such a voice. He seemed as if he wanted to look me through. Fierce as
fierce he was when he gave me his card to take in."
"What was on the card?" cried Glyn excitedly.
"Can't you guess, sir?" said the man, grinning.
"Colonel Severn!" shouted Singh.
"My father!" gasped Glyn. "Oh, Singhy! And us with faces like this!"