HOW MY MASTER ENTERED AND QUITTED THE HEAD MASTER'S STUDY TWICE IN ONE
MORNING.
Charlie's first care in the morning was, as I need hardly say, to pull
me out from under his pillow, and consult me as to the time. None of
his companions were astir, so that, not having anything particular to
do, he lay still, and abandoned himself to the luxury of an idle half-
hour in bed.
His spirits were so greatly revived by his night's rest that he forgot
both the novelty and the loneliness of his position, and fell to
polishing first his knife and then me as merrily as if he were at home.
What a difference a sound sleep often makes in the aspect of our
affairs! Twelve hours ago he had felt as if he could never be
sufficiently bold as to whistle within the walls of Randlebury, and now
the first sight and sound which greeted Halliday's returning senses, as
he sat up and rubbed his eyes, was his young _protege_ whistling to
himself like a lark, and brightening me up with all his might with the
corner of his blanket till I glowed again at nearly a red heat.
"Who's that kicking up that row whistling?" growled a voice from the far
end of the room; "because I'd like to shy a boot at his head."
At this Charlie subsided, not desiring to gratify his unknown auditor in
his benevolent desire, and very soon after jumped up and dressed
himself.
"Look here, youngster," said Joe, "you'd better do my study now, as you
mayn't have time after breakfast to-day. You know which room it is--the
sixth on your right when you get downstairs. Cut along, look sharp,
you've a good half-hour."
Charlie made his way down to the lion's den, meeting on his way several
other discontented fags, bound on similar errands. He set himself to
clean the window, tidy the cupboard, and generally put things square,
and had succeeded fairly well in this endeavour by the time his patron
made his appearance.
"What's the time?" inquired that lord of creation, running his eye
rapidly round the room at the same time, to notice how his fag had done
his duty.
"It's five minutes to eight," replied Charlie, after consulting me, and
highly delighted to be thus appealed to.
"Come along to breakfast, then. You'll have to sit at a different table
from me; but mind and wait for me afterwards, for I've got to take you
to the doctor."
So Charlie was conducted down to the hall to breakfast, and provided
with a humble seat at the foot of the lowest table, while Joe Halliday
made his way with all the dignity that became his years to a
distinguished place at the highest.
My master found himself among a set of noisy little boys, who amused
themselves during the greater part of the meal by interchanging volleys
of bread pellets, which much oftener missed their marks than reached
them, in consequence of which he himself came in for the brunt of the
cannonade. Once he ventured to return one of the random shots which had
found its way to his fingers. Fortune favoured his aim, and his shaft
hit the boy it was intended for full in the eye.
"Who did that?" cried the wounded hero sharply.
"I did," replied Charlie, quite proud of his achievement.
"All right, I'll punch your head for it when we get outside."
This was by no means what Charlie had expected. He had imagined the
wound would be received in the same spirit of jest in which it was
aimed.
"It was only in fun," he explained; "did it hurt you?"
"Of course it did," exclaimed the injured youth, who till Charlie's
arrival had been the junior pupil of the school, and was now delighted
to find some one below himself in the scale of seniority. "Of course it
did, and you'll catch it."
All the other boys laughed, and Charlie, who could not find it in him to
be overawed by even so majestic a hero as little Master Johnny Walker,
made the best of his position.
"Look here," he said, "I'll give you three shots at my mouth, and if
you--"
"There's too much talking at table six!" exclaimed an awful voice, and
instantly every voice was hushed, including Charlie's, who blushed to
the roots of his hair, and felt as if he had been singled out before the
whole school as a rioter. He gulped down his breakfast without further
argument with Master Walker, and was relieved, when the meal was over,
to find that that doughty warrior appeared to have altered his mind
about punching his youthful head.
After some time he saw Halliday beckoning to him from the other side of
the room.
"Now you've got to go to the doctor," said he; "come along."
This was the first time my master had fully realised the solemn nature
of the approaching interview, and I felt his heart flutter as he
inquired,--
"I say, what will he say to me?"
"Oh, all sorts of things; you'd better mind what you're up to, I can
tell you," was the reassuring reply.
"Do you think I shall get in a row for driving the cab yesterday?"
faltered Charlie.
"Shouldn't wonder," was the reply.
"Oh, dear! And do you think he saw me hit Johnny Walker in the eye at
breakfast?"
"What, were you the boy who was kicking up all that row? My eye! you're
in for it! Here you are; I'll knock for you."
And giving the poor trembling boy not so much as an instant in which to
collect his flurried ideas, Joe gave a rap at the door, which was
answered at once by a sharp "Come in!" from within.
"Now then," said Halliday, "in you go."
Charlie's knees shook under him, and he hung back from that awful door
in mute terror.
"Come in!" again cried the voice.
"Do you hear, you young muff?" exclaimed Halliday. "Won't you catch it!
Go in, will you?"
And opening the door himself he fairly pushed my poor master into the
head master's study.
Fancy the agony of the poor boy, fully believing himself a doomed
miscreant, entering for the first time the awful presence of the head
master of Randlebury School.
He stood there with downcast eyes, not daring to speak, and rooted to
the spot.
"Why, what's the matter, my boy?"
At the words Charlie started like one electrified. He had surely heard
that voice before somewhere! He looked up, and what was his
astonishment to find in his dreaded principal no other than the
gentleman with whom he had yesterday spent such a friendly hour in the
train between Gunborough and Randlebury!
And his face was as kind as ever, and his voice encouraging, as he
repeated,--
"What's the matter, my man? has the watch stopped."
"Oh, sir," said Charlie, running up to him, "I am glad it's you, and I'm
so sorry I drove the cab, and hit Walker in the eye. I'll never do it
again!"
"Tut, tut," said the head master; "if you never do any worse than that,
you won't go far wrong. I didn't tell you who I was yesterday, because
I wanted you to manage for yourself, and fight your own battle on first
arriving. Now tell me how you have got on."
And Charlie faithfully recounted to him everything, including my sudden
indisposition, and my cure by Tom Drift.
Dr Weldon (for that was his name) listened to his story, and then
said,--
"Well, you've made a pretty good beginning. Now try to remember this:
your father has sent you here for two reasons; one is that your head may
be furnished, and the other is that your character may be trained. I
and your teachers can undertake the first; but it depends chiefly on you
how the second succeeds. You will constantly be having to choose for
yourself between what is right and what is wrong, and between what is
true and what is false. Take the advice of one who has passed through
all the temptations you are likely to meet here--rely always on a wisdom
that is better than your own, and when once you see which way duty
calls, follow that way as if your life depended on it. Do this, and
you'll turn out a far better man than the man who is talking to you.
Whenever you are in trouble come to me, I shall always be glad to see
you. I promised you, you know, I would ask for you occasionally, didn't
I? And now let's see what you've got in your head."
And then followed a brief examination, conducted in a way which put
Charlie quite at his ease, and so enabled him to acquit himself with a
fair amount of credit and win from his master a commendation, which he
prized not a little, for it was that his father's efforts had not been
wasted on him.
"You will be put in the second-form," said the doctor, "and if you work
hard, I see no reason why you should not get up into the third next
midsummer. Now, good-bye. I hope you won't find the head master of
Randlebury is as `stiff and stuck-up a fellow' as you dreaded, and I
trust I shall find you as honest and brave a fellow as I hoped you would
turn out the first time I saw you. Good-bye."
Charlie rose to leave with overflowing heart. He even forgot in the
midst of his pleasant emotion to inquire, as he had fully intended to
do, after the doctor's watch, and if it was still a quarter of an hour
fast.
As he left the room he could not help contrasting with thankfulness his
present state of mind with that in which he had entered it an hour ago.
He laughed at himself for all his foolish fears then, and as for the
future, that seemed now ever so much easier and brighter.
Outside the door he found Tom Drift passing along the corridor in a
state of great excitement.
"The very chap, I declare," cried he. "I say, lend us your watch, young
un, will you?"
"What for?" asked Charlie.
"Only a time race. Tom Shadbolt says he can run a mile in 4.40. I say
he can't do it under 4.50, and we've got a bet of half-a-crown a side
upon it. So lend us your watch to time him by."
Charlie hesitated, and a pang passed through his breast. He knew that
one of the things which he had promised his father was that he would
have nothing to do with betting or gambling in any form, and how could
he obey in this respect if he now lent me for the purpose for which I
was required? And yet he owed Tom Drift no common gratitude for the
good service he had done in setting me right yesterday, and surely if
any one had a right to borrow me it was he. The struggle was a sore
one, but soon decided.
"I can't lend it you, Tom Drift."
"Why ever not?" asked Tom sharply.
"I'm very sorry; if it had been anything else--but I promised father I
would not gamble."
"Young ass! who wants you to gamble? I only want you to lend us your
watch."
"_You_ are gambling, though," said Charlie timidly.
"And what's that got to do with you, you young idiot," exclaimed Drift,
fairly losing his temper, "if I am?"
"I'm very sorry," said Charlie, "especially as you put it all right. If
it was anything else; but I can't for this."
"Look here," said Drift in a fury, "we've had fooling enough. Hand me
the watch this moment, or I'll take it and smash it, and you into the
bargain!"
"Oh, Tom Drift, don't do that. I would so gladly for anything else, but
I promised father--"
"Once more, will you, or will you not?"
"I can't."
"Then take that!" and next moment Charlie received a blow full on the
chest, which sent him staggering back against the wall.
Oh, how he wished that moment he had never owned me!
Tom came upon him with an angry oath, and seized him by the throat.
"Will you give it up?"
"No," replied Charlie.
He was fairly roused now; no boy--certainly no boy of his sort--can
stand quietly by and receive undeserved blows. Tom tightened his grip
on the boy's throat, and strove to snatch me from his pocket.
Quick as thought Charlie threw his arms round him, and, though the
smaller boy of the two, extricated himself from the clutch of the bully,
and sent him in turn staggering back. Livid with rage, Tom rushed at
him; but Charlie eluded him, and left him to overbalance himself and
fall sprawling on the paved floor. At this instant the doctor's door
opened, and the head master stood gazing on the scene.
Poor Charlie! five minutes ago so full of bright hopes and brave
resolutions, and now, under the eyes of the very man who had inspired in
him those hopes and resolutions, engaged in a common fight with a
schoolfellow!
"What is all this?" asked the doctor sternly. "Come in here, you two."
Charlie, with sinking heart, entered again that solemn room, and Drift
followed, sulky, and with a black bruise on his forehead.
Charlie left his antagonist to tell his story after his own fashion, and
was too dispirited either to contradict him or seek to justify himself.
He felt ashamed of himself, and in his self-humiliation saw neither
defence nor extenuation for his conduct.
Drift was dismissed with a few sharp words of reproof and warning.
Charlie remained longer.
What the doctor said to him, and what he said to the doctor, I need not
here repeat. Suffice it to say, the former was able to form a fairer
estimate of my master's conduct than he himself was. He did not blame
him; he even told him that no boy could expect to get through his school
days without some blows, and advised him to see they were always on the
right side. He talked to him long and seriously about home, and so
comforted him in prospect of future difficulties and temptations, that
when he left that study the second time, it was as a wiser, though
perhaps a sadder boy than before.