"VENI, VIDI, --"
If a light heart and faith in one's own good luck are omens of success,
Mark Railsford undoubtedly entered on his new duties at Grandcourt under
the most favourable of auspices. It would not have been to his
discredit if his light heart had acknowledged even slightly the weight
of the responsibility it was undertaking. But, as a matter of fact, it
was all the lighter for that very responsibility. The greater the task,
he argued, the greater the achievement; and the greater the achievement,
the greater the triumph. A less sanguine hero might have been daunted
by the pictures with which his nervous friends did their best to damp
his ardour. Grover, delighted as he was at the success of his friend's
application, took care to keep the rocks ahead well above the surface in
all his letters and conversations. Railsford laughed him pleasantly to
scorn.
Grover's was not the only attempt made to intimidate our hero. A week
or so before he entered upon his duties, a nervous-looking man called to
see him. It was Mr Moss, the late master.
"I hear you have been appointed to my house," he said, by way of
explanation, "and I thought it would be only friendly to call and tell
you the sort of thing you are to expect when you go there."
"Thanks, very much," said Railsford, with a smile of the corner of his
mouth.
"You may be made of cast iron, or be possessed of the patience of a
Job," began this cheery adviser. "If so, you're all right. I wasn't
either."
"Did you find the boys unmanageable?"
"No--not more than other boys--all boys, of course, are the sworn foes
of law and order, and nobody imagines anything else. No, your
difficulties, if you have anything like my luck, will be more with your
colleagues than your subjects."
"And how do they make themselves objectionable?" asked the new master,
rather contemptuously.
Mr Moss did not miss the tone of this question, and fired up himself.
"Of course, if _you_ don't mind being systematically snubbed at head-
quarters--thwarted and slandered by your fellow-masters--baulked in
every attempt to improve the condition either of your house or the
school--and misrepresented and undermined in your influence among your
boys, you may go up and enjoy it. I didn't. That's why I left."
"At any rate, I have one friend among the masters--Grover."
"Oh, poor Grover. He is the only master who can get on at all, and he
does so by effacing himself on every possible occasion, and agreeing
with everybody."
"Not a very noble character to hear of one's friend," said Railsford,
who was beginning to get tired of this jeremiad.
"I don't blame him; he can stand more than you or I can."
"That, I suppose, is meant for a compliment to me?" said Railsford,
laughing. "You think, then, I would be wise to back out before it is
too late?"
"I don't say that, only--"
"Only you pity me. Thanks, very much."