"IS WILLOUGHBY DEGENERATE?"
As might be expected, the new captain's move in attempting to win over
the juniors of Welch's only served to increase the irritation of those
seniors who had hitherto reigned supreme in the house.
But Riddell had taken this into his calculation, and was therefore not
greatly astonished when immediately after the enthusiastic cricket
meeting just referred to, Silk followed him to his study in a by no
means amiable frame of mind.
Silk was not given to losing his temper, but on the present occasion he
was decidedly ruffled. And no wonder.
Any fellow would be ruffled who suddenly found himself deposed from his
authority in the manner in which Silk had been. Had he been one of the
most conscientious and painstaking of monitors, he might well have been
excused flaring up a little, and, indeed, would have shown a poor spirit
had he not done so.
But Silk, as the reader knows, was neither painstaking nor
conscientious. He did not care a rap about Welch's, still less about
Willoughby. As long as he could please himself and annoy his enemies,
he did not care what became of his house or the boys in it. It was only
when any one ventured to dispute his authority as head of the house that
he attached any value to his office. In fact, it was the story of the
Dog in the Manger carried out in school life--he would not be troubled
doing his duty to Welch's, and he would not if he could help it let any
one else do it for him.
Riddell, if truth must be told, was not at all sorry to have an early
opportunity of coming to an explanation with Silk.
Silk was one of the very few boys in Willoughby whom the captain
positively disliked, and that being so Riddell was troubled with none of
the half-apologetic nervousness which he usually felt in the presence of
his other fellow-seniors. He looked upon Silk both as an enemy to
Willoughby and as the evil genius of young Wyndham, and therefore was by
no means disposed to beg his pardon or consult his pleasure in the new
order of things at Welch's.
"I hear the juniors have been saying something to you about starting the
cricket club," said Silk, in tones which were the reverse of
conciliatory.
"Yes," said Riddell; "or, rather, I suggested it to them."
"You did! All I can say is, it's like your impudence. Welch's is come
to a pretty pass if _you're_ sent here to look after our athletics."
Riddell did not feel called upon to reply to this, and Silk therefore
continued, "Don't you know Tucker and I have been captains of the clubs
here for the last two years?"
"I was told so."
"Then what business have you to interfere?"
"There was no house club at all this year."
"A lot _you_ care about the cricket. I know well enough it's just a
canting dodge for snubbing Tucker and me before the fellows, nothing
more."
"You're quite mistaken," replied Riddell.
"Oh, of course! You'd like to make out that you care a fig about
cricket. You who couldn't even bowl a ball from one end of the wickets
to the other!"
There seemed nothing particular to reply to in this, so Riddell remained
silent. This only irritated Silk the more, who felt that he was by no
means getting the best of it.
"You'd better stop this sort of thing at once," he said, viciously.
"You're sent here to look after the morals of the house, not to
interfere with what doesn't concern you. Tucker and I can look after
the cricket without you."
"Are you and Tucker going to start the old club again, then?" asked
Riddell quietly.
"Whatever business of yours is it whether we are or aren't? Find out."
"That's what I'm trying to do. If you are, I'll advise the other
fellows to join it and not have two clubs."
"_You_ advise the fellows!" sneered Silk; "they don't want a schoolhouse
prig like you to advise them."
It was evidently no use trying to conciliate a fellow like this, and
Riddell began to get tired of the interview.
"I don't want to offend you or anybody," said he boldly; "but if you and
Tucker won't take the trouble to start the club, I don't see that all
the house is to be done out of their cricket in consequence. The
fellows have little enough to keep them together as it is."
"You are a nice _little thing_ to keep them together with, I must say,"
snarled Silk, "and you've made a good start by setting the juniors
against their seniors."
"I've done nothing of the sort," replied Riddell, quietly; "and if
you'll excuse me, I've some work to do, and there's really not much use
talking on the subject."
So saying, he turned, and began taking his books down from the shelf.
Silk, whose irritation had been gradually getting beyond bounds, was
pleased to regard this action as a direct insult to himself, and flared
up accordingly.
"Look here, you snivelling, stuck-up, hypocritical prig, you!" exclaimed
he, advancing and seizing the captain roughly by the arm, "we'd better
come to an understanding at once. If you think you're going to cheek us
just as you please here, you're mistaken, I tell you. What do you mean
by it?"
"By what?" inquired Riddell, mildly, but quite composedly.
Silk's only reply was a passionate blow in the captain's face, which
sent him staggering to the other side of the room.
It was a critical moment. Riddell was no coward, nor was he one of
those sickly individuals who, not satisfied to be struck on one cheek
only, invite a repetition of the assault on the other side. Physically
weak and nervous as he was, he had sufficient British instinct to move
him to stand up for himself.
And yet as he stood there a moment irresolute, it flashed across him
that whatever the cost he must not enter upon a fight with Silk.
Of course he would be called a coward, and nothing he could say could
prove he wasn't. He was no match for Silk, and consequently his refusal
to defend himself would be called fear.
"And yet," thought he, "if I fight, my chance in Welch's is gone, even
if I were able to beat him. The fellows will have no more respect for
me than any other rowdy, and will soon enough make my thrashing an
excuse for mutiny."
It was a hard position for any boy, and the courage required to hold him
back cost Riddell more effort than had he blindly rushed into the fray
and given himself up to be thrashed.
"Will you fight?" shouted Silk, advancing.
"No," said Riddell, as coolly as he could.
"Wretched coward!" exclaimed the bully, "of course you won't. Then take
what you deserve. I'll give you the biggest hiding you ever had in your
life."
He would probably have carried out his threat, and Riddell would
probably before half a minute have given up all further idea of non-
resistance, when an opportune diversion occurred in the person of
Telson, who appeared with the remainder of his late senior's possessions
from the schoolhouse.
"I say, Riddell," he exclaimed, almost before the door was open, "here's
a jolly go! I've got to be that beast Gilks's fag, and-- Hullo! what's
up?"
This remark was caused by Silk's suddenly turning on his heel and
hurrying from the study without putting into execution his threat.
"What was he up to?" asked Telson, as the door was shut. "He was going
to exterminate me, so he said," replied Riddell, smiling.
"I wish he'd tried, and you'd given him a jolly licking," said Telson.
"He's a cad. I wonder what young Wyndham or any one sees to like in
him."
"Wyndham likes him, then?" asked the captain. "They always seem jolly
thick," said the fag. "By the way, Riddell, were you ever at
Beamish's?"
"Beamish's? No!" exclaimed Riddell. "Why?"
"Oh," said Telson, "I only wanted to know what sort of place it was."
"Not a good one. There's a pretty strong rule against it in the school.
Bad job for any one caught going there."
"I know, I'm not going; I only wanted to know what sort of place it was.
But I'm off, I've got a motion on in Parliament to-morrow. I say,
Riddell, I wish you hadn't left the schoolhouse."
And off went the junior, leaving Riddell somewhat perplexed by his
chatter, but considerably consoled nevertheless to think that there was
any one in the schoolhouse, or anywhere, who was sorry to lose him.
However, the same reason which took Telson away left Riddell also little
time to spend in vague reflections. He, too, had a speech to prepare
for Parliament to-morrow.
The meeting promised to be an important one in many respects. It was
the first after the boat-race, and consequently party feeling was likely
to make use of the opportunity to let off a little of its steam. Then,
of course, it was the captain's first public appearance as the head of
Welch's, and that was sure to excite a good deal of curiosity and
interest. And last, but not least, the subject for the evening was a
debate on the question, "That Willoughby is Degenerate," to be opened in
the affirmative by Ashley, and in the negative by Porter, and on this
burning question the debate as well as the division promised to be
pretty interesting.
There was the usual lively time before the regular business was reached
over "Questions," of which there were a good many on the notice-paper.
But it will be best to report the meeting in the usual Parliamentary
style, as it would have appeared on the records of the House, had any
record been kept at Willoughby:
Mr Bloomfield took the chair at three o'clock.
Mr Merrison (Welcher) gave notice that at the next meeting he would
move--"That this House gives its support to the Liberal candidate in the
coming election at Shellport, and does all in its power to kick out the
Radical." (Loud cheers.)
Mr Pringle (Parrett's) asked the Home Secretary what day the summer
holidays were to begin.
Mr Ashley replied that he was not in a position to inform the hon.
member, but probably in about six weeks.
Mr Wyndham, jun. (schoolhouse), wished to ask why Parrett's would not
row another race when the schoolhouse had offered it? (Great
schoolhouse cheers.)
Mr Game (First Lord of the Admiralty), amid equally loud cheers on
Parrett's side, replied that as soon as the schoolhouse found out who
had been mean enough to cut the Parrett's rudder-line, and gave him up
to justice, they would see about it.
Whereupon Mr Wibberly begged to ask the schoolhouse stroke whether he
had any information to give the House on the subject.
Mr Fairbairn.--The information I have to give the House is that Mr
Riddell and I, directly after the race, went to Mr Bloomfield and said
we were sorry for the accident--(ironical laughter from Parrett's)--and
offered to row them again any day they liked, and the offer was
declined. (Schoolhouse cheers.)
Mr Tipper.--I should like to know if the schoolhouse fellows are making
any efforts to discover the culprit by whose assistance they won the
race. (Tremendous Parrett's cheers.)
Mr Fairbairn.--I can't say we are. (Derisive cheers of "Of course
not!" from Parrett's.) The hon. gentlemen opposite seem to know so much
about it, that I think they had better find the culprit themselves.
("Hear, hear," from the schoolhouse.)
The proceedings at this stage became rather noisy, every one being
anxious to express his opinion on the question. It was not till after
the President had threatened to "adjourn the House" that silence was at
length restored.
Bloomfield took the sensible course, also, of announcing that, as quite
enough questions had been asked about the race, he should not allow any
more on that subject.
Whereupon Mr Tucker, the Welcher, rose and put a question on another
matter. He wanted to know the reason why Mr Riddell had become a
Welcher; whether it was true that he had been turned out of the
schoolhouse for being incompetent; and whether he had been kicked out of
the captaincy as well.
Mr Crossfield said he had been requested to reply. And first he must
congratulate the hon. member on having succeeded in asking a question
which any one could understand. (Laughter.)
In reply, he understood Mr Riddell had been sent to Welch's in order to
study the virtues of a fellow called Tucker, who was--
Mr Tucker, rising: Mr Chairman, I didn't put my question in order to
be insulted by Crossfield or any one. (Laughter.)
Mr Crossfield.--I apologise to the hon. gentleman. I will not insult
him by supposing he has any virtues. I should say Mr Riddell has gone
to take a few lessons in the art of keeping a house in order, which no
one can so well teach him as Mr Tucker. (Loud laughter.) In reply to
the gentleman's second question--