There was a dead silence at this unexpected interruption, broken only by
an encouraging cheer from Mr Bickers.
Supposing the new master was about to acknowledge the compliment just
paid him by a set speech, Mr Roe put down his agenda paper and said,
"Mr Railsford."
"If you will allow me," began Mark, rather breathlessly, "I would like
to refer to a matter which personally concerns myself. I should not
venture to do it in this way, immediately after your kind welcome, if I
did not feel it to be my duty. Yesterday, gentlemen, an unfortunate
incident occurred in my house--(`Hear, hear,' and a smile from Mr
Bickers). I went--"
"Excuse me," said the chairman, "may I explain to Mr Railsford, as he
is a new member here, that our practice is invariably to take up any
questions in order of the seniority of the masters present. Mr Smith,
I believe, has a motion on the paper--"
Poor Railsford subsided, full of confusion, stripped of his good
resolutions, abusing himself for his folly, and wishing Monsieur
Lablache and his advice at the bottom of the sea.
What Mr Smith and the other masters who followed had to say he neither
heard nor cared. His determination to admit his own error had oozed
away, and he resolved that if his story was to be kept waiting, it
should be none the sweeter, when it did come, for the delay.
Several topics were discussed pleasantly, with a view to elicit the
opinion of the meeting on small questions of policy and discipline.
Presently Mr Roe turned to Bickers. "I think you said you had some
question to ask, Mr Bickers?"
"Oh, well, yes. Mine's quite a hypothetical point, though," began Mr
Bickers, airily. "I just wanted to ask, supposing one of us becomes
aware of a riot in a neighbouring house, during the absence of the
master of that house, and ascertains, moreover, that the prefects on
duty, so far from making any attempt to control the disorder, are
participating in it, I presume there can be no question that it would be
the duty of anyone of us to interfere in such a case? It's quite a
hypothetical case, mind, but it might occur."
"Certainly, I should say, if you were quite sure the proper house
authorities were not there to enforce order," said Mr Roe.
"Of course," said Grover; "but it's rather an unlikely case, isn't it?"
"It occurred in my house last night," broke in Railsford, hotly. "I was
at the Athletic Union, and two of my prefects; the other two were left
in charge. Mr Bickers took upon himself to interfere in my absence,
and I have written to tell him that I consider his action impertinent,
and resent it. In reply, he writes--"
"A _private_ letter," interposed Mr Bickers hurriedly, evidently not
relishing the prospect of having his effusion read.
"It was not marked `private,' but I can quite understand the writer
would not like to hear it read aloud here. All I wish to say is that
his hypothetical case is no more hypothetical than his interference was
in the affairs of my house; and that if he asks my opinion on the
matter, I shall tell him he would do better to mind his own business!"
Railsford sat down, very hot, and painfully conscious that he had not
exhibited the moderation and temper which he had promised himself to
observe.
An embarrassed silence ensued. Mr Roe, a man of peace, frowned, and
turned inquiringly to Bickers.
Bickers stroked his beard and smiled, and said nothing.
"Do you wish to say anything?" asked the chairman.
"By no means. Mr Railsford has said all I could wish said far more
eloquently than I could. Shall we go on to the next business, Mr
Chairman?"
As for Railsford, the further proceeding had no interest for him, and he
vanished the moment the meeting was over, without speaking to anyone.
As Mr Bickers walked off towards his house, he really felt a little
sorry for his fellow-master, who had let himself down by so paltry an
exhibition of temper thus early in his career. However, no doubt he
would take to heart to-night's lesson, and do himself more justice in
future. Mr Bickers, in the fulness of his heart, took a little round
of the big square on his way home, with the double intent of giving
himself the air, and perchance intercepting, for the good of the school,
one or more youthful night-birds in their truant excursions. This was a
kind of sport in which Mr Bickers was particularly successful, and
which, therefore (as became a successful sportsman), he rather enjoyed.
To his credit be it said, he was strictly impartial in his dealings;
whether the culprit belonged to his own house (as often happened) or to
another's, he was equally down upon him, and was never known to relax
his penalties for the most plausible excuse set up by his ingenious
victims.
To-night it seemed as if he would return without a "bag" at all, and he
was about to resign himself to his disappointment, when his quick eyes
detected in the darkness a hovering shadow moving ahead of him in the
direction of Railsford's house. It vanished almost immediately, but not
before the master had caught a faintly uttered "Hist!" which betrayed
that he had to deal with more than one truant. He quickened his pace a
little, and came once more in view of the phantom slinking along by the
wall at a pace which was not quite a run. Rather to Mr Bickers's
surprise the fugitive passed the door of Railsford's, and made straight
on towards the chapel, slackening pace as he did so.
"A decoy," said the knowing master to himself. "Employed to draw me on
while the rest make good their retreat. There is a touch of generosity
in the decoy which one is bound to admire; but on this occasion, my
young friend, you are dealing with rather too aged a bird to be
caught--"
At this moment he had come up to the door of Railsford's, and before his
soliloquy had been able to advance by another word he seemed to see
sparks before his eyes, while at the same moment his feet went from
under him, and something was drawn over his head. The bag, or whatever
it was, was capacious; for the neck of it descended to his waist, and
closed by the magic of a slip-knot round his mouth and elbows before he
had the presence of mind to shout or throw out his arms. To complete
his misfortune, as he tried to raise himself, another noose was snugly
cast around his feet, and thus gagged and pinioned, silently, rapidly,
and dexterously, Mr Bickers found himself in a situation in which, he
could positively aver, he had never stood--or lain--before.
The thought did flash through his sack-enveloped head, that his
assailants, whoever they were, must have rehearsed this little comedy
carefully and diligently for a day or two, in order to arrive at the
perfection displayed in the present performance. He also made a mental
calculation that three, possibly four, fellow-beings were engaged on the
job, of whom two were strong, and two were small; one of the latter
possibly being the decoy whom he had so lately apostrophised.
Not a syllable was uttered during the ceremony; and the victim
recognising his position, had the good sense to remain cool and not
waste his time and dignity in a fruitless struggle.
The pinioning being complete, and a small hole being considerately
opened in the sack in the region of the nose for purposes of
respiration, he was hauled up one or two steps, dragged one or two feet,
deposited on the board floor of the shoe-cupboard, and, after a few mild
and irresolute kicks, left to his own meditations, the last sound which
penetrated into the sack being the sharp turning of a key on the outside
of his dungeon door.
"So," soliloquised Mr Bickers, after discovering that he was unhurt,
though uncomfortably cramped, "our friend Railsford is having one lodger
more than the regulation number to-night. This will make another
hypothetical case for the next session of masters!"