The Long Vacation
And with trumpets and with banners As becomes gintale good manners.--THACKERAY.
A telegram from Sir Jasper brought the good news that Fergus's name washigh on the Winchester roll, and that he was sure of entering collegeafter the holidays. Gillian alone was allowed to go up to the stationwith her uncle Reginald to meet the travellers, lest the whole familyshould be too demonstrative in their welcome. And at the same time thereemerged from the train not only Captain Armytage, but also LancelotUnderwood and his little boy. All the rest of his family were gone toStoneborough to delight the hearts of Dr. May and his daughter Ethel.
Gillian was in such training that she durst not embrace her brother whenhe tumbled out of the carriage, though she could hardly keep her feetfrom dancing, but she only demurely said--
"Mamma and all of them are at Aunt Jane's."
"Come then," said Sir Jasper to Captain Armytage, for which Gillian wasnot grateful, or thought herself not, for she made a wry face.
There was a good deal of luggage--theatrical appliances to be sent tothe pavilion.
"This may as well go too," said Captain Armytage.
"Oh! oh! It is the buccaneer's sword!" cried little Felix. "How lovely!Last time we only had Uncle Jack's, and this is ever so much longer!"
"Do let me draw it!" cried Fergus.
"Not here, my boy, or they would think a conspiracy was breaking out.Ha!" as a sudden blare of trumpets broke out as they reached the stationgate.
"Oh, is it for him?" cried Felix, who had been instructed in Fergus'striumph.
"See, the conquering hero comes, Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!"
said the General.
Fergus actually coloured crimson, but the colour was deepened as hemuttered "Bosh!" while two piebald ponies, drawing the drummers andtrumpeters in fantastic raiment, preceded an elephant shrouded inscarlet and gold trappings, with two or three figures making contortionson his back, and followed by a crowned and sceptred dame in blue, white,and gold, perched aloft on a car drawn by four steeds in glitteringcaparisons.
"Will you mount it, Fergus?" asked his uncle. "You did not expect such ademonstration."
Fergus bit his lip. It was hard to be teased instead of exalted; butFely and he were absorbed in the pink broadsides that the lady in thecar was scattering.
CIRCUS--THIS NIGHT--ROTHERWOOD PARK.
The Sepoy's Revenge! Thrilling Incidents! Sagacious Elephant! Dance of Arab Coursers!! Acrobatic Feats!! &c., &c.
"Oh, daddy! daddy! do take me to see it!"
"Father, I should like to see it very much indeed," were theexclamations of the two little boys. "You know I have never seen anyacrobatic feats."
"A long word enough to please you," said Uncle Reginald. "He deservessomething. I'll take you, master."
"I should think this was not of the first quality," said Sir Jasper.
"Never mind. Novelty is the charm that one can have only once in one'slife," said the General.
"Some of those van fellows are very decent folk," said Lancelot. "I haveseen a great deal of them at Bexley Fair times. You would be astonishedto know how grateful they are for a little treatment as if they were notout of humanity's reach."
Gillian was trying to make Fergus tell her what his questions had been,and how he had answered them.
"I declare, Gill, you are as bad as some of the boys' horrid governors.There was one whose father walked him up and down and wouldn't let himplay cricket, and went over all the old questions with him. I shouldnever have got in, if papa hadn't had more sense than to badger me outof my life."
At the gate between the copper beeches the Underwoods and Merrifieldsparted, with an engagement to meet at the circus on the part of the boysand their conductors.
Fergus was greeted with open-mouthed, open-armed delight by all theassembled multitude, very little checked by the presence of CaptainArmytage. Only Lady Merrifield did not say much, but there was a dew inher eyes as she held fast the little active fingers, and whispered--
"My good industrious boy."
Sir Jasper, in his grand and gracious manner, turned to hissister-in-law, saying--
"We could not but come first to you, Jane, for it is to you that he isindebted, as we all are, primarily for his success."
"That is the greatest compliment I ever had, Jasper," she answered,smiling but almost tearful, and laughing it off. "I feel ready to mountyonder elephant lady's triumphal car."
The General refrained from any more teasing of Fergus on his firstimpression; and at seven that evening the younger Merrifield boys withtheir uncle, and the two from St. Andrew's Rock with Lance, set off inhigh spirits.
They re-appeared much sooner than they were expected at BeechcroftCottage, where the Underwoods were spending the long twilight evening.
"A low concern!" was the General's verdict.
"We fled simultaneously from the concluding ballet," said Lance. "Therehad been quite as much as we could bear for ingenuous youth."
"We stood the Sepoy's Death Song," said the General, "but the poster ofthe Bleeding Bride was enough for us."
"They had only one elephant!" cried Adrian.
"A regular swindle," said Wilfred.
"No lions!" added Fely, "nothing to see but that poor old elephant! Iwish he would have turned round and spouted water at them, as that onedid to the tailor."
"Water would be uncommonly good for them," said the General, laughing,"they are not much acquainted therewith."
"And such an atmosphere!" said Lance.
"I see it on your forehead, poor boy," said Geraldine.
"I should like to set on the Society against cruelty to animals," saidthe General; "I saw galls on the horses' necks, and they were all halfstarved."
"Then to see the poor old elephant pretend to be drunk!" added Fergus,"stagger about, and led off by the policeman, drunk and disorderly!"
"Was that being drunk?" asked Adrian, with wide-open eyes. "It was likeCampbell that day." Everybody laughed.
Wilfred did so now.
"You green kid, you."
"Happy verdure," said the General, "to be unaware that some people canlaugh when they ought to weep."
"Weep!" exclaimed Wilfred, "every time one sees a fellow screwy in thestreet."
"Perhaps the angels do," murmured Clement.
"Come, Master Wilfred, you have expressed your opinions sufficientlyto-night," said the General. "Suppose you and Fergus walk home together.A nasty low place as ever I saw. I have a mind to tell the Mayor aboutit."
Gerald said--
"Is not that making yourself very unpopular?"
"That is no great matter," said the General, rather surprised.
"I should have thought it better to refine the people's tastes than tothwart their present ones."
"The improper must be stopped before the taste for the proper can bepromoted," said Clement.
"With all the opposition and ill-blood that you cause?" said Gerald."Why, if I were an errand-boy, the suppression would send me direct tothe circus. Would it not do the same by you, Uncle Lance?"
"Discouragement might, prohibition would prevent wholly, and I should bethankful," said Lance.
"Ah! you are of the old loyal nature," said Gerald. "You of the oldschool can never see things by modern lights."
"I am thankful to say--not," responded Reginald Mohun, in a tone thatmade some laugh, and Gerald sigh in Anna's ear--
"Happy those who see only one side of a question."
There was another great day for the boys, namely, the speech or closingday at the school, when Fergus was the undoubted hero, and was soexalted that his parents thought it would be very bad for him, and werechiefly consoled by his strong and genuine dislike to having to declaimwith Clement Varley the quarrel of Brutus and Cassius. He insisted onalways calling the former "Old Brute," and all the efforts of mother andaunt never got him beyon
d the dogged repetition of a lesson learnt byheart, whereas little Varley threw himself into the part with spiritthat gained all the applause. Fergus carried off a pile of prizes too,but despised them. "Stupid old poetry!" said he, "what should I do withthat? Do let me change it, father, for the Handbook of Paleontology, orsomething worth having."
Adrian had three prizes too, filling Anna with infinite delight. He wasnot to go home immediately on the break-up of the school, but was towait for his sisters, who were coming in a few days more with LadyTravis Underwood to the bazaar and masque, so that he would go home withthem.
Neither the prospect nor the company of little Fely greatly reconciledhim to the delay, but his mother could not believe that her darlingcould travel alone, and his only satisfaction was in helping Fergus toarrange his spare specimens for sale.
CHAPTER XVII. -- EXCLUDED