THORNE'S REVENGE.
The unexpected communication which Thorne had received from his mother
influenced his treatment of Jasper. Under ordinary circumstances he
would have resented bitterly the humiliating defeat he had received at
the hands of the "new boy." Now, however, he felt sure of ultimate
revenge, and was willing to "bide his time."
"Just wait till his father is dead, and mother is his guardian!" he said
to himself. "Then, my young gentleman, your pride'll be taken down, see
if it ain't!"
His politic forbearance surprised the other boys, who did not understand
the secret cause.
"Ain't you goin' to lick that new boy?" asked Tower, a sycophantic
follower of Thorne.
"What for?" asked Nicholas.
"Because he licked you the other day."
"Who says he licked me?" demanded the young tyrant, with a frown.
"Why, all the boys say so," stammered Tower.
"Do you say so?" demanded Nicholas, savagely.
"N-no," said Tower, timidly.
"Lucky you don't," said Thorne, significantly. "I'll lick any boy that
tells such a lie about me."
Tower was silent.
"The fact is," he continued, in a milder tone, "we were stopped in the
middle of the fight. I was called to see a lady visitor. But for that I
should have licked him in the end."
"I guess you can lick him," said the young sycophant.
"Of course I can," said Nicholas, loftily.
"Are you going to try it?"
"Why should I? I haven't anything against him. We came out even. What's
the use of bearing malice?"
Tower was astonished to hear such sentiments from Thorne. It did not
sound at all like him. He was about the last boy who would be singled
out for forbearance or forgiveness of injuries. So the younger boy
concluded that his leader was afraid of Jasper. But here he did him
wrong. Thorne had learned to respect his adversary's strength and skill,
but he would have hazarded a second encounter but for the prudential
reasons already suggested. For the present he thought it best to keep
quiet.
Jasper also had made a discovery, though, as we know, the information he
had received was not correct. He supposed Thorne to be a nephew of his
father's governess, whereas she was his mother.
"Does Thorne know this?" he asked himself.
He could not feel quite satisfied on this point, nor could he determine
precisely how far his feelings were affected by this discovery. He felt
a dislike toward Thorne on account of his tyrannical disposition and
ill-treatment of younger boys. He cherished a dislike for the governess,
the cause of which he could not as well define. Now, it appeared that
these two were allied to each other. I beg to say that Jasper was too
sensible and gentlemanly to dislike the governess simply because she was
poor. That he knew very well had nothing to do with the substantial
worth of a person. But he could not rid himself of the feeling that Miss
Thorne's residence in his father's family portended misfortune to the
parent whom he loved so well.
So a week passed without any new disturbance or outbreak between the two
boys. Jasper had been on the lookout, fearing that Thorne would take
some opportunity to wreak vengeance on young Cameron when he was not
present. But his fears were gradually allayed. Thorne seemed usually
peaceable--so much so that his school-mates, who knew him well, thought
he had turned over a new leaf, and speculated as to what had produced
the change. But neither boys nor men change suddenly and completely,
though policy and self-interest may for a time lead them to suppress the
manifestation of their characteristic traits.
Nine days after the fight recorded in my first chapter, as Jasper was
walking in the school-yard, Davies came up hurriedly.
"Kent," he said, "you're wanted."
"Who wants me?" asked Jasper. "Is it Dr. Benton?"
"No, the doctor's absent."
"Who wants me, then?"
"Little Cameron."
"What! is Thorne at him again?" asked Jasper, stopping short and looking
toward the house.
"Yes, Thorne's at his old business, bullying him. He took the
opportunity when he thought you were out of hearing."
"I must stop it," said Jasper. "Where are they?"
"In the back yard."
"I suppose I shall have to fight him again," said Kent, regretfully.
"You needn't be afraid to try it. You are a match for him."
"I think I am. That is not my reason."
"What then?"
"I don't like fighting--it's brutal. Besides, I have another reason,
which I don't care to mention."
By this time they had reached the scene of the difficulty, Little
Cameron was half-crying, and Thorne stood over him with upraised arm.
"Do as I tell you, you little blackguard!" he was just saying, when a
voice he well knew was heard, calm and resolute:
"Thorne, are you bullying that boy again?"
Nicholas turned and saw his old antagonist. He was sorry to see him, but
he could not well withdraw now.
"It's none of your business," he answered, sullenly.
"I shall make it my business to protect the weak," said Jasper, quietly.
"You may need to protect yourself," sneered Thorne.
"If necessary, I feel competent to do so. Cameron, come here."
"Don't you go!" said Thorne, menacingly.
The little boy looked in terror from one to the other. Evidently he
dreaded that the immediate result of his obeying Kent would be to
precipitate a blow from the bully.
Jasper saw the little boy's quandary, and he quickly advanced to the
rescue. Throwing one arm protectingly round Cameron's waist, he regarded
Nicholas firmly.
"Well," he said, "what do you propose to do?"
Thorne had had time to think. He hated Jasper worse than ever, but he
knew that our hero did not care for blows. Moreover, he was likely to
give back better than he received. There was another way of wounding
him, which prudence would have led him to hold in reserve. But he was
too angry to be prudent. Moreover, he had had a note two days before
from his mother, from which he learned that the wedding was to be
solemnized on that very day. Probably at that moment his mother was Mrs.
Kent.
"I won't fight," he said, with an unpleasant smile, "seeing we're
relations."
"Relations!" repeated Jasper, with a look of surprise and inquiry. "I
don't know what you mean."
"You'll know soon enough," said Thorne, mockingly.
A suspicion of the truth entered Jasper's mind. He turned pale, and
said:
"Will you step aside with me, Thorne, and tell me what you mean!"
"If you like," said Thorne, indifferently.
"Now," said Jasper, when they had withdrawn a few rods from the other
boys.
"It appears you haven't heard the news," said Thorne, with malicious
enjoyment. "Your father has married my mother. That makes us
step-brothers, doesn't it?"
"My father married again!" said Jasper, recoiling as if he had received
a blow.
"Yes. Strange you wasn't invited to the wedding, isn't it?"
An hour later Jasper, having obtained special permission from Dr.
Benton, was on his way home, sick with apprehension lest this threatened
misfortune should prove real.