"You have seen a good deal of Williams?"
"Yes," said Upton, smiling.
"Have you ever heard him express any opinions of Mr Gordon?"
"Often."
"Of what kind?"
"Dislike and contempt," said Upton, amidst general laughter.
"Have you ever heard him say anything which implied a desire to injure
him?"
"The other day Mr Gordon gave him a Georgic as an imposition, and I
heard Williams say that he would like to pay him out."
This last fact was new to the school, and excited a great sensation.
"When did he say this?"
"On Friday afternoon."
Upton had given his evidence with great reluctance, although, being
simply desirous that the truth should come out, he concealed nothing
that he knew. He brightened up a little when Russell rose to
cross-examine him.
"Have you ever known Williams do any mean act?"
"Never."
"Do you consider him a boy _likely_ to have been guilty on this
occasion?"
"Distinctly the reverse. I am convinced of his innocence."
The answer was given with vehement emphasis, and Eric felt greatly
relieved by it.
One or two other boys were then called on as witnesses to the great
agitation which Eric had shown during the investigation in the
schoolroom, and then Gibson, who was a sensible self-contained fellow,
said, "I have now done my part. I have shown that the accused had a
grudge against Mr Gordon at the time the thing was done, and had
threatened to be revenged on him; that he was the last boy in the room
during the time when the offence must have been committed; that the
handwriting is known to be like his, and that the ink and wafers
employed were such as he, and he only, was known to possess. In
addition to all this, his behaviour, when the matter was first publicly
noticed, was exactly such as coincides with the supposition of his
guilt. I think you will all agree in considering these grounds of
suspicion very strong; and leaving them to carry their full weight with
you, I close the case for the prosecution."
The school listened to Gibson's quiet unmoved formality with a kind of
grim and gloomy satisfaction, and when he had concluded, there were
probably few but Eric's own immediate friends who were not fully
convinced of his guilt, however sorry they might be to admit so
unfavourable an opinion of a companion whom they all admired.
After a minute or two Russell rose for the defence, and asked, "Has
Williams any objection to his desk being brought, and any of its
contents put in as evidence?"
"Not the least; there is the key, and you will find it in my place in
school."
The desk was brought, but it was found to be already unlocked, and
Russell looked at some of the note-paper which it contained. He then
rose--nervously at first, and with a deep blush lighting up his face,
but soon showing a warmth and sarcasm, which few expected from his
gentle nature.
"In spite of the evidence adduced," he began, "I think I can show that
Williams is not guilty. It is quite true that he dislikes Mr Gordon,
and would not object to any open way of showing it; it is quite true
that he used the expressions attributed to him, and that the ink and
wafers are such as may be found in his desk, and that the handwriting is
not unlike his. But is it probable that a boy intending to post up an
insult such as this, would do so in a manner and at a time so likely to
involve him in immediate detection and certain punishment? At any rate,
he would surely disguise his usual handwriting. Now, I ask any one to
look at this paper, and tell me whether it is not clear, on the
contrary, that these letters were traced slowly and with care, as would
be the case with an elaborate attempt to imitate?" Russell here handed
the paper to the jury, who again narrowly examined it.
"Now, the evidence of Pietrie and Carter is of no use, because Carter
himself admitted that boys often enter the room by the window--a fact to
which we shall have to allude again.
"We admit the evidence about the ink and wafers. But it is rather
strange that Barker should know about the wafers, since neither I, nor
any other friend of Williams, often as we have sat by him when writing
letters, have ever observed that he possessed any like them."
Several boys began to look at Barker, who was sitting very ill at ease
on the corner of a form, in vain trying to appear unconcerned.
"There is another fact which no one yet knows, but which I must mention.
It will explain Eric's--I mean Williams's--agitation when Dr Rowlands
read out the words on that paper; and, confident of his innocence, I am
indifferent to its appearing to tell against him. I myself once heard
Eric--I beg pardon, I mean Williams," (he said, correcting himself with
a smile)--"use the very words written on that paper, and not only heard
them, but expostulated with him strongly for the use of them. I need
hardly say how very unlikely it is that, remembering this, he should
thus publicly draw my suspicions on him, if he meant to insult Mr
Gordon undiscovered. But, besides myself there was another boy who
accidentally overheard that expression. That boy was Barker.
"I have to bring forward a new piece of evidence, which at least ought
to go for something. Looking at this half-sheet of note-paper, I see
that the printer's name on the stamp in the corner is `Graves, York.'
Now, I have just found that there is no paper at all like this in
Williams's desk; all the note-paper it contains is marked `Blakes,
Ayrton.'
"I might bring many witnesses to prove how very unlike Williams's
general character a trick of this kind would be. But I am not going to
do this. We think we know the real offender. We have had one trial,
and now demand another. It is our painful duty (but depend upon it we
shall not shirk it," he added with unusual passion) "to prove Williams's
innocence by proving another's guilt. That other is a known enemy of
mine, and of Montagu's, and of Owen's. We therefore leave the charge of
stating the case against him to Duncan, with whom he has never
quarrelled."
Russell sat down amid general applause; he had performed his task with a
wonderful modesty and self-possession, which filled every one with
admiration, and Eric warmly pressed his hand.
The interest of the school was intensely excited, and Duncan, after a
minute's pause, starting up, said--
"Williams has allowed his desk to be brought in and examined. Will
Barker do the same?" The culprit now saw at once that his plot to ruin
Eric was recoiling on himself. He got up, swore and blustered at
Russell, Duncan, and Montagu, and at first flatly refused to allow his
desk to be brought. He was, however, forced to yield, and when opened,
it was immediately seen that the note-paper it contained was identical
with that on which the words had been written. At this he affected to
be perfectly unconcerned, and merely protested against what he called
the meanness of trying to fix the charge on him.
"And what have you been doing the whole of the last day or two," asked
Gibson quietly, "but endeavouring to fix the charge on another?"
"We have stronger evidence against you," said Duncan, confronting him
with an undaunted look, before which his insolence quailed. "Russell,
will you call Graham?"
Graham was called, and put on his honour.
"You were in the sick-room on Friday evening?"
"Yes."
"Did you see any one get in to the schoolroom through the side window?"
"That's a leading question," interrupted Barker.
"Stuff!" said Graham contemptuously, not vouchsafing further reply to
the objection. "I'll just tell you all I know. I was sitting doing
nothing in the sick-room, when I suddenly saw Barker clamber into the
schoolroom by the window, which he left open. I was looking on simply
from curiosity, and saw him search Williams's desk, from which he took
out something, I could not make out what. He then went to his own desk,
and wrote for about ten minutes, after which I observed him go up and
stand by the notice-board. When he had done this, he got out by the
window again, and ran off."
"Didn't this strike you as extraordinary?"
"No; I thought nothing more about it till some one told me in the
sick-room about this row. I then mentioned privately what I had seen,
and it wasn't till I saw Duncan, half an hour ago, that I thought it
worth while to make it generally known."
Duncan turned an inquiring eye to Barker (who sat black and silent), and
then pulled out some bits of torn paper from his pocket, put them
together, and called Owen to stand up. Showing him the fragments of
paper, he asked, "Have you ever seen these before?"
"Yes. On Saturday, when the boys left the schoolroom, I stayed behind
to think a little over what had occurred, feeling convinced that
Williams was _not_ guilty, spite of appearances. I was standing by the
empty fireplace, when these bits of paper caught my eye. I picked them
up, and, after a great deal of trouble, fitted them together. They are
covered apparently with failures in an attempt at forgery, viz, first,
`Gordon is a sur--' and then a stop as though the writer were
dissatisfied, and several of the words written over again for practice,
and then a number of r's made in the way that Williams makes them."
"There you may stop," said Barker, stamping fiercely; "I did it all."
A perfect yell of scorn and execration followed this announcement.
"What! _you_ did it, and caused all this trouble, you ineffable
blackguard!" shouted Upton, grasping him with one hand, while he struck
him with the other.
"Stop!" said Avonley; "just see that he doesn't escape, while we decide
on his punishment."
It was very soon decided by the sixth-form that he should run the
gauntlet of the school. The boys instantly took out their
handkerchiefs, and knotted them tight. They then made a double line
down each side of the corridor, and turned Barker loose. He stood
stock-still at one end while the fellows nearest him thrashed him
unmercifully with the heavy knots. At last the pain was getting severe,
and he moved on, finally beginning to run. Five times he was forced up
and down the line, and five times did every boy in the line give him a
blow, which, if it did not hurt much, at least spoke of no slight anger
and contempt. He was dogged and unmoved to the last, and then Avonley
hauled him into the presence of Dr Rowlands. He was put in a secure
room by himself, and the next morning was first flogged and then
publicly expelled. Thenceforth he disappears from the history of Roslyn
School.
I need hardly say that neither Eric nor his friends took any part in
this retributive act; indeed they tried (though in vain) to prevent it.
They sat together in the boarders' room till it was over, engaged in
exciting discussion of the recent events. Most warmly did Eric thank
them for their trustfulness. "Thank you," he said, "with all my heart,
for proving my innocence; but thank you, even more a great deal, for
first believing it."
Upton was the first to join them, and since he had but wavered for a
moment, he was soon warmly reconciled with Eric. They had hardly shaken
hands when the rest came flocking in. "We have all been unjust," said
Avonley; "let's make up for it as well as we can. Three cheers for Eric
Williams!"
They gave not three, but a dozen, till they were tired; and meanwhile
every one was pressing round him, telling him how sorry they were for
the false suspicion, and doing all they could to show their regret for
his recent troubles. His genial, boyish heart readily forgave them, and
his eyes shone with joy. The delicious sensation of returning esteem
made him almost think it worth while to have undergone his trial.
Most happily did he spend the remainder of that afternoon, and it was no
small relief to all the Rowlandites in the evening to find themselves
finally rid of Barker, whose fate no one pitied, and whose name no one
mentioned without disgust. He had done more than any other boy to
introduce meanness, quarrelling, and vice, and the very atmosphere of
the rooms seemed healthier in his absence. One boy only forgave him,
one boy only prayed for him, one boy only endeavoured to see him for one
last kind word. That boy was Edwin Russell.
After prayers, Mr Gordon, who had been at Dr Rowlands's to dinner,
apologised to Eric amply and frankly for his note, and did and said all
that could be done by an honourable man to repair the injury of an
unjust doubt. Eric felt his generous humility, and from thenceforth,
though they were never friends, he and Mr Gordon ceased to be enemies.
That night Mr Rose crowned his happiness by asking him and his
defenders to supper in the library. A most bright and joyous evening
they passed, for they were in the highest spirits; and when the master
bade them "good-night," he kindly detained Eric, and said to him, "Keep
an innocent heart, my boy, and you need never fear trouble. Only think
if you had been guilty, and were now in Barker's place!"
"Oh, I _couldn't_ be guilty, sir," said Eric, gaily.
"Not of such a fault, perhaps. But," he added solemnly, "there are many
kinds of temptation, Eric; many kinds. And they are easy to fall into.
You will find it no light battle to resist them."
"Believe me, sir, I will try," he answered with humility.
"Jehovah-Nissi!" said Mr Rose. "Let the Lord be your banner, Eric, and
you will win the victory. God bless you."
And as the boy's graceful figure disappeared through the door, Mr Rose
drew his arm-chair to the fire, and sat and meditated long. He was
imagining for Eric a sunny future--a future of splendid usefulness, of
reciprocated affection, of brilliant fame.