And constancy lives in realms above;
And life is thorny; and youth is vain;
And to be wroth with one we love
Doth work like madness in the brain.
Each spoke words of high disdain,
And insult to his heart's best brother.
_Coleridge's Christabel_.
Wright had not forgotten Montagu's advice, and had endeavoured to get
the names of boys who weren't afraid to scout publicly the disgrace of
cheating in form. But he could only get one name promised him--the name
of Vernon Williams; and feeling how little could be gained by using it,
he determined to spare Vernon the trial, and speak, if he spoke at all,
on his own responsibility.
As usual, the cribbing at the next weekly examination was well-nigh
universal, and when Mr Gordon went out to fetch something he had
forgotten, merely saying, "I trust to your honour not to abuse my
absence," books and papers were immediately pulled out with the coolest
and most unblushing indifference.
This was the time for Wright to deliver his conscience; he had counted
the cost, and, rightly or wrongly, considering it to be his duty, he had
decided that speak he would. He well knew that his interference would
be attributed to jealousy, meanness, sneaking, and every kind of wrong
motive, since he was himself one of the greatest sufferers from the
prevalent dishonesty; but still he had come to the conclusion that he
_ought_ not to draw back, and therefore he bravely determined that he
would make his protest, whatever happened.
So, very nervously, he rose and said, "I want to tell you all that I
think this cheating very wrong and blackguardly. I don't mind losing by
it myself; but if Vernon Williams loses the prize in the lower-fourth,
and any one gets it by copying, I've made up my mind to tell Gordon."
His voice trembled a little at first, but he spoke fast, and acquired
firmness as he went on. Absolute astonishment and curiosity had held
the boys silent with amazement, but by the end of this sentence they had
recovered themselves, and a perfect burst of derision and indignation
followed.
"Let's see if _that'll_ cut short his oration," said Wildney, throwing a
book at his head, which was instantly followed by others from all
quarters.
"My word! we've had nothing but lectures lately," said Booking. "Horrid
little Owenite saint."
"Saint!--sneak, you mean. I'll teach him," growled Pietrie, and jumping
up, he belaboured Wright's head with the Latin Grammar out of which he
had just been cribbing.
The whole room was in confusion and hubbub, during which Wright sat
stock-still, quietly enduring without bowing to the storm.
Only one boy sympathised with him, but he did so deeply--poor little
penitent Vernon. He felt his position hard because Wright had alluded
so prominently to him, and he knew how much he must be misconstrued but
he had his brother's spirit, and would not shrink. Amid the tumult he
got up in his seat, and they heard his pleasant childish voice saying
boldly, "I hope Wright won't tell; but he's the best fellow in the room,
and cribbing _is_ a shame, as he says."
What notice would have been taken of this speech is doubtful, for at the
critical moment Mr Gordon reappeared, and the whispered cave caused
instantaneous quiet.
Poor Wright awaited with some dread the end of school; and many an angry
kick and blow he got, though he disarmed malice by the spirit and
heroism with which he endured them. The news of his impudence spread
like wildfire, and not five boys in the school approved of what he had
done, while most of them were furious at his ill-judged threat of
informing Mr Gordon. There was a general agreement to thrash him after
roll-call that afternoon.
Eric had lately taken a violent dislike to Wright, though he had been
fond of him in better days. He used to denounce him as a disagreeable
and pragmatical little muff, and was as loud as any of them in
condemning his announced determination to "sneak." Had he known that
Wright had acted under Montagu's well-meant, though rather mistaken
advice, he might have abstained from having anything more to do with the
matter, but now he promised to kick Wright himself after the four
o'clock bell.
Four o'clock came; the names were called; the master left the room.
Wright, who perfectly knew what was threatened, stood there pale but
fearless. His indifferent look was an additional annoyance to Eric, who
walked up to him carelessly, and boxing his ears, though without hurting
him, said contemptuously, "Conceited little sneak."
Montagu had been told of the intended kicking, and had determined even
single-handed to prevent it. He did _not_, however, expect that Eric
would have taken part in it, and was therefore unprepared. The colour
rushed into his cheeks; he went up, took Wright quietly by the hand, and
said with firm determination, "No one in the school shall touch Wright
again."
"What? no one! just hark to that," said Graham; "I suppose he thinks
himself cock of the school."
Eric quite misunderstood Montagu's proceeding; he took it for a public
challenge. All the Rowlandites were round, and to yield would have
looked like cowardice. Above all, his evil genius Wildney was by, and
said, "How very nice! I say, Eric, you and I will have to get _The
Whole Duty of Man_ again."
A threatening circle had formed round Montagu, but his closed lips and
flushing brow and dilated nostrils betrayed a spirit which made them
waver, and his noble face glowed with a yet nobler expression in the
consciousness of an honourable cause, as he quietly repeated, "No one
shall touch you, Wright."
"They _will_, though," said Eric instantly; "_I_ will, for one, and I
should like to see you prevent me." And so saying he gave Wright
another slight blow.
Montagu dropped Wright's hand, and said slowly, "Eric Williams, I have
taken one unexpected blow from you without a word, and bear the marks of
it yet. It is time to show that it was _not_ through cowardice that I
did not return it. Will you fight?"
The answer was not prompt by any means, though every one in the school
knew that Eric was not afraid. So sure was he of this, that, for the
sake of "auld lang syne," he would probably have declined to fight with
Montagu had it been left to his own impulses.
"I have been in the wrong, Montagu, more than once," he answered
falteringly, "and we have been friends--"
But it was the object of many of the worst boys that the two should
fight--not only that they might see the fun, but that Montagu's
authority, which stood in their way, might be flung aside. So Booking
whispered in an audible voice--
"Faith! he's showing the white feather."
"You're a liar!" flung in Eric; and turning to Montagu, he said, "There!
I'll fight you this moment."
Instantly they had stripped off their coats and prepared for action. A
ring of excited boys crowded round them. Fellows of sixteen, like
Montagu and Eric, rarely fight, because their battles have usually been
decided in their earlier schooldays; and it was also but seldom that two
boys so strong, active, and prominent (above all, so high in the school)
took this method of settling their differences.
The fight began, and at first the popular favour was entirely on the
side of Eric, while Montagu found few or none to back him. But he
fought with a fire and courage which soon won applause; and as Eric, on
the other hand, was random and spiritless, the cry was soon pretty
fairly divided between them.
After a sharp round they paused for breath, and Owen, who had been a
silent and disgusted spectator of such a combat between boys of such
high standing, said with much feeling--
"This is not a very creditable affair, Montagu."
"It is necessary," was Montagu's laconic reply. Among other boys who
had left the room before the fracas had taken place was Vernon Williams,
who shrank away to avoid the pain of seeing his new friend Wright
bullied and tormented. But curiosity soon took him back, and he came in
just as the second round began. At first he only saw a crowd of boys in
the middle of the room, but jumping on a desk, he had a full view of
what was going on.
There was a tremendous hubbub of voices, and Eric, now thoroughly roused
by the remarks he overheard, and especially by Wildney's whisper that
"he was letting himself be licked," was exerting himself with more
vigour and effect. It was anything but a pleasant sight; the faces of
the combatants were streaked with blood and sweat, and as the miserable
gang of lower-school boys backed them on with eager shouts of--"Now
Eric, now Eric." "Now Montagu, go it sixth-form," etcetera, both of
them fought under a sense of deep disgrace, increased by the
recollections which they shared in common.
All this Vernon marked in a moment, and, filled with pain and vexation,
he said in a voice which, though low, could be heard amid all the
uproar, "O Eric, Eric, fighting with Montagu!" There was reproach and
sorrow in the tone, which touched more than one boy there, for Vernon,
spite of the recent change in him, could not but continue a popular
favourite.
"Shut up there, you little donkey," shouted one or two, looking back at
him for a moment.
But Eric heard the words, and knew that it was his brother's voice. The
thought rushed on him how degraded his whole position was, and how
different it might have been. He felt that he was utterly in the wrong,
and Montagu altogether in the right; and from that moment his blows once
more grew feeble and ill-directed. When they again stopped to take
rest, the general shout for Montagu showed that he was considered to
have the best of it.
"I'm getting so tired of this," muttered Eric, during the pause.
"Why, you're fighting like a regular muff," said Graham; "you'll have to
acknowledge yourself thrashed in a minute."
"That I'll _never_ do," he said, once more firing up. Just as the third
round began, Duncan came striding in, for Owen, who had left the room,
told him what was going on. He had always been a leading fellow, and
quite recently his influence had several times been exerted in the right
direction, and he was very much looked up to by all the boys alike, good
or bad. He determined, for the credit of the sixth, that the fight
should not go on, and bursting into the ring, with his strong shoulders
he hurled on each side the boys who stood in his way, and struck down
the lifted arms of the fighters.
"You _shan't_ fight," he said doggedly, thrusting himself between them;
"so there's an end of it. If you do, you'll both have to fight me
first."
"Shame!" said several of the boys, and the cry was caught up by Ball and
others.
"Shame, is it?" said Duncan, and his lip curled with scorn. "There's
only one way to argue with you fellows. Ball, if you or any other boy
repeat that word, I'll thrash him. Here, Monty, come away from this
disgraceful scene."
"I'm sick enough of it," said Montagu, "and am ready to stop if Williams
is,--provided no one touches Wright."
"I'm sick of it too," said Eric sullenly.
"Then you two shall shake hands," said Duncan.
For one instant--an instant which he regretted till the end of his
life--Montagu drew himself up and hesitated. He had been deeply
wronged, deeply provoked, and no one could blame him for the momentary
feeling; but Eric had observed the gesture, and his passionate pride
took the alarm. "It's come to this then," he thought; "Montagu doesn't
think me good enough to be shaken hands with."
"Pish!" he said aloud, in a tone of sarcasm; "it may be an awful honour
to shake hands with such an immaculate person as Montagu, but I'm not
proud on the subject," and he turned away.
Montagu's hesitation was but momentary, and without a particle of anger
or indignation he sorrowfully held out his hand. It was too late; that
moment had done the mischief, and it was now Eric's turn coldly to
withdraw.
"You don't think me worthy of your friendship, and what's the good of
grasping hands if we don't do it with cordial hearts?"
Montagu's lip trembled, but he said nothing, and quietly putting on his
coat, motioned back the throng of boys with a sweep of his arm, and left
the room with Duncan.
"Come along, Wright," he said.
"Nay, leave him," said Eric, with a touch of remorse. "Much as you
think me beneath you, I have honour enough to see that no one hurts
him."
The group of boys gradually dispersed, but one or two remained with
Eric, although he was excessively wearied by their observations.
"You didn't fight half like yourself," said Wildney.
"Can't you tell why? I had the wrong side to fight for." And getting
up abruptly, he left the room, to be alone in his study, and bathe his
swollen and aching face.
In a few minutes Vernon joined him, and at the mere sight of him Eric
turned away in shame. That evening with Vernon in the study, after the
dinner at "The Jolly Herring," had revived all his really warm affection
for his little brother; and as he could no longer conceal the line he
took in the school, they had been often together since then; and Eric's
moral obliquity was not so great as to prevent him from feeling--deep
joy at the change for the better in Vernon's character.
"Verny, Verny," he said, as the boy came up and affectionately took his
hand, "it was you that lost me that fight."
"Oh, but, Eric, you were fighting with Montagu. Don't you remember the
days, Eric," he continued, "when we were home-boarders, and how kind
Monty used to be to me even then, and how mother liked him, and thought
him quite your truest friend, except poor Russell?"
"I do indeed. I didn't think then that it would come to this."
"I've always been _so_ sorry," said Vernon, "that I joined the fellows
in playing him tricks. I can't think how I came to do it, except that
I've done such lots of bad things here. But he's forgiven and forgotten
that long ago, and is very kind to me now."
It was true; but Eric didn't know that half the kindness which Montagu
showed to his brother was shown solely for _his_ sake.
"Do you know, I've thought of a plan for making you two friends again?
I've written to Aunt Trevor to ask him to Fairholm with us next
holidays."
"Oh, have you? Good Verny! Yes; _there_ we might be friends. Perhaps
there," he added, half to himself, "I might be more like what I was in
better days."
"But it's a long time to look forward to. Easter hasn't come yet," said
Vernon.
So the two young boys proposed; but God had disposed it otherwise.