The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's: A School Story

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

  LOMAN IN LUCK.

  While we have been talking of Oliver and Wraysford, and of the manner inwhich the results of the Nightingale examination affected them and theclass to which they belonged, the reader will hardly have forgotten thatthere was another whose interest in that result was fully as serious andfully as painful.

  Loman had been counting on gaining the scholarship to a dead certainty.From the moment when it occurred to him he would be able to free himselfof his money difficulties with Cripps by winning it, he had dismissed,or seemed to dismiss, all further anxiety from his mind. He neverdoubted that he in the Sixth could easily beat the two boys in theFifth; and though, as we have seen, he now and then felt a sneakingmisgiving on the subject, it never seriously disturbed his confidence.

  Now, however, he was utterly floored. He did not need to wait for theannouncement of the results to be certain he had not won, for he hadknown his fate the moment his eyes glanced down the questions on thepaper on the morning of examination.

  At his last interview with Cripps that memorable Saturday afternoon, hehad promised confidently to call at the Cockchafer next Thursday withthe news of the result, as a further guarantee for the payment of thethirty pounds, never doubting what that result would be. How was he toface this interview now?

  He could never tell Cripps straight out that he had been beaten in theexamination; that would be the same thing as telling him to go at onceto the Doctor or his father with the document which the boy had signed,and expose the whole affair. And it would be no use making a poor mouthto the landlord of the Cockchafer and begging to be forgiven the debt;Loman knew enough by this time to feel convinced of the folly of that.What was to be done?

  "I shall have to humbug the fellow some way," said Loman to himself, ashe sat in his study the afternoon after the announcement of the result.And then followed an oath.

  Loman had been going from bad to worse the last month. Ever since hehad begun, during the holidays, regularly to frequent the Cockchafer,and to discover that it was his interest to make himself agreeable tothe man he disliked and feared, the boy's vicious instincts haddeveloped strangely. Company which before would have offended him, henow found--especially when it flattered him--congenial, and words andacts from which in former days he would have shrunk now came naturally.

  "I shall have to humbug the fellow somehow," said he; "I only wish Iknew how;" and then Loman set himself deliberately to invent a lie forMr Cripps.

  A charming afternoon's occupation this for a boy of seventeen!

  He sat and pondered for an hour or more, sometimes fancying he had hitupon the object of his search, and sometimes finding himself quite offthe tack. Had Cripps only known what care and diligence was beingbestowed on him that afternoon he would assuredly have been highlynattered.

  At length he seemed to come to a satisfactory decision, and, naturallyexhausted by such severe mental exertion, Loman quitted his study andsought in the playground the fresh air and diversion he so much needed.One of the first boys he met there was Simon. "Hullo, Loman!" said thatamiable genius, "would you have believed it?"

  "Believed what?" said Loman.

  "Oh! you know, I thought you knew, about the Nightingale, you know. Isay, how jolly low you came out!"

  "Look here! you'd better hold your row!" said Loman, surlily, "unlessyou want a hiding."

  "Oh; it's not that, you know. What I meant was about Greenfield senior.Isn't that a go?"

  "What about him? Why can't you talk like an ordinary person, and notlike a howling jackass?"

  "Why, you know," said Simon, off whom all such pretty side complimentsas these were wont to roll like water off a duck's back--"why, you know,about that paper?"

  "What paper?" said Loman, impatiently. "The one that was stolen out ofthe Doctor's study, you know. Isn't that a go? But we're going to hushit up. Honour bright!"

  Loman's face at that moment was anything but encouraging. Somehow, thisroundabout way of the poet's seemed particularly aggravating to him, forhe turned quite pale with rage, and, seizing the unhappy bard by thethroat, said, with an oath, "What do you mean, you miserable beast?What about the paper?"

  "Oh!" said Simon, not at all put about by this rough handling--"why,don't you know? _we_ know who took it, we do; but we're all going to--"

  But at this point Simon's speech was interrupted, for the very goodreason that Loman's grip on his throat became so very tight that thewretched poet nearly turned black in the face.

  With another oath the Sixth Form boy exclaimed, "Who took it?"

  "Why--don't you know?--oh!--oh, I say, mind my throat!--haven't youheard?--why, Greenfield senior, you know!"

  Loman let go his man suddenly and stared at him.

  "Greenfield senior?" he exclaimed in amazement.

  "Yes; would you have thought it? None of us would--we're all going tohush it up, you know, honour bright we are."

  "Who told you he took it?"

  "Why, you know, I saw him;" and here Simon giggled jubilantly, to markwhat astonishment his disclosure was causing.

  "_You_ saw him take it?" asked Loman, astounded.

  "Yes; that is, I saw him coming out of the Doctor's study with it."

  "You did?"

  "Yes; that is, of course he must have had it; and he says so himself."

  "What, Greenfield says he took the paper?" exclaimed Loman, in utterastonishment.

  "Yes; that is, he doesn't say he didn't; and all the fellows are goingto cut him dead, but we mean to hush it up if we can."

  "Hush yourself up, that's what you'd better do," said Loman, turning hisback unceremoniously on his informant, and proceeding, full of thisstrange news, on his solitary walk. What was in his mind as he wentalong I cannot tell you. I fancy it was hardly sorrow at the thoughtthat a schoolfellow could stoop to a mean, dishonest action, nor, Ithink, was it indignation on Wraysford's or his own account.

  Indeed, the few boys who passed Loman that afternoon were struck withthe cheerfulness of his appearance. Considering he had been miserablybeaten in the scholarship examination, this show of satisfaction was allthe more remarkable.

  "The fellow seems quite proud of himself," said Callonby to Wren as theypassed him.

  "He's the only fellow who is, if that's so," said Wren.

  Loman stopped and spoke to them as they came up.

  "Hullo! you fellows," said he, in as free and easy a manner as onefellow can assume to others who he knows dislike him, "I wanted to seeyou. Which way are you going?--back to the school?"

  "Wren and I are going a stroll together," said Callonby, coldly;"good-bye."

  "Half a minute," said Loman. "I suppose you heard the results of theNightingale read out."

  "Considering I was sitting on the same form with you when they were, Isuppose I did," said Wren.

  "That's all right," said Loman, evidently determined not to notice thesnubbing bestowed on him. "Mine wasn't a very loud score, was it?Seventy! I was surprised it was as much!"

  The two Sixth boys looked at him inquiringly.

  "The fact is, I never tried to answer," said Loman, "and for a very goodreason. I suppose you know."

  "No--what?" asked they.

  "Haven't you heard? I thought it was all over the school. You heardabout the Doctor missing a paper?"

  "Yes; what about it? Was it found, or lost, or what?"

  "No one owned to having taken it, that's certain."

  "I should hope not. Not the sort of thing any fellow here would do."

  "That's just what I should have thought," said Loman. "But the fact is,some one did take it--you can guess who--and you don't suppose I wasgoing to be fool enough to take any trouble over my answers when I knewone of the other fellows had had the paper in his pocket a day and ahalf before the exam." And here Loman laughed.

  "Do you mean to say Greenfield stole it?" exclaimed both the friends atonce, in utter astonishment.

  "I mean to say you'
re not far wrong. But you'd better ask some of theFifth. It's all come out, I hear, there."

  "And you knew of it before the exam?"

  "I guessed it; or you may be sure I'd have taken a little more troubleover my answers. It wasn't much use as it was."

  Loman had the satisfaction of seeing the two Sixth boys depart inamazement, and the still greater satisfaction of seeing them a littlelater in confidential conference with Simon, from whom he guessed prettycorrectly they would be sure to get a full "all-round" narrative of thewhole affair.

  "I'm all right with the Sixth, anyhow," muttered he to himself. "I onlywish I was as right with that blackguard Cripps."

  "That blackguard Cripps" had, next afternoon, the peculiar pleasure ofwelcoming his young friend and patron under the hospitable roof of theCockchafer. As usual, he was as surprised as he was delighted at thehonour done him, and could not imagine for the life of him to what hewas indebted for so charming a condescension. In other words, he leftLoman to open the business as best he could.

  "I promised to come and tell you about the exam, didn't I?"

  "Eh? Oh, yes, to be sure. That was last Saturday. Upon my word, I'dquite forgotten."

  Of course Loman knew this was false; but he had to look pleasant andanswer, "Well, you see, my memory was better than yours."

  "Right you are, young captain. And what about this here fifty-pounddicky-bird you've been after?"

  "The Nightingale?" said Loman. "Oh, it's all right, of course; but thefact is, I forgot when I promised you the money now, that of coursethey--"

  "Oh, come now, none of your gammon," said Mr Cripps, angrily; "apromise is a promise, and I expect young swells as makes them to keepthem, mind that."

  "Oh, of course I'll keep them, Cripps. What I was saying was that theydon't pay you the money till the beginning of each year."

  Loman omitted to mention, as he had omitted to mention all along, thatyoung gentlemen who win scholarships do not, as a rule, have the moneythey win put into their hands to do as they like with. But this was atrifling slip of the memory, of course!

  "I don't care when they pay you your money! All I know is I must havemine now, my young dandy. Next week the time's up."

  "But, Cripps, how _can_ I pay you unless I've got the money?"

  "No, no; I've had enough of that, young gentleman. This time I'ma-going to have my way, or the governor shall know all about it,--yousee!"

  "Oh, don't say that!" said Loman. "Wait a little longer and it will beall right, it really will."

  "Not a bit of it. That's what you said three months ago," repliedCripps.

  "I won't ask you again," pleaded the boy; "just this time, Cripps."

  "Why, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, that you ought," exclaimedthe virtuous landlord of the Cockchafer, "a keeping a honest man out ofhis money!"

  "Oh, but I'm certain to have it then--that is, next to certain."

  "Oh! then what you're telling me about this here Nightingale of yours isa lie, is it?" said the 'cute Mr Cripps. "You ain't got it at all,ain't you?"

  Loman could have bitten his tongue off for making such a blunder.

  "A lie? No; that is--Why, Cripps, the fact is--" he stammered, becomingsuddenly very red.

  "Well, drive on," said Cripps, enjoying the boy's confusion, and proudof his own sharpness.

  "The fact is--I was going to tell you, Cripps, I was really; there'sbeen something wrong about this exam. One of the fellows stole one ofthe papers, and so got the scholarship unfairly."

  "And I can make a pretty good guess," said Mr Cripps, with a grin,"which of the fellows that gentleman was."

  "No, it wasn't me, Cripps, really," said Loman, pale and quite humble inthe presence of his creditor; "it was one of the others--Greenfield inthe Fifth; the fellow, you know, who struck you on Saturday."

  "What, him?" exclaimed Cripps, astonished for once in a way. "Thatbloke? Why, he looked a honest sort of chap, he did, though I _do_ owehim one."

  "Oh," said Loman, following up this temporary advantage, "he's a regularswindler, is Greenfield. He stole the paper, you know, and so won thescholarship, of course. I was certain of it, if it hadn't been forthat. I mean to have a row made about it, and there's certain to beanother exam, so that I'm sure of the money if you'll only wait."

  "And how long do you want me to wait, I'd like to know?" said Cripps.

  "Oh, till after Christmas, please, at any rate. It'll be all rightthen, I'll answer for that."

  "You'll answer for a lot of things, it strikes me, young gentleman,"said Cripps, "before you've done."

  There were signs of relenting in this speech which the boy was quick totake advantage of.

  "_Do_ wait till then!" he said, beseechingly.

  Cripps pretended to meditate.

  "I don't see how I can. I'm a poor man, got my rent to pay and allthat. Look here, young gentleman, I must have 10 pounds down, if I'm towait."

  "Ten pounds! I haven't as much in the world!" exclaimed Loman. "I cangive you five pounds, though," he added. "I've just got a note fromhome to-day."

  "Five's no use," said Cripps, contemptuously, "wouldn't pay not theinterest. You'll have to make it a tenner, young gentleman."

  "Don't say that, Cripps, I'd gladly do it if I could; I'd pay you everyfarthing, and so I will if you only wait."

  "That's just the way with you young swells. You get your own ways, andleave other people to get theirs best way they can. Where's yourfive-pound?"

  Loman promptly produced this, and Cripps as promptly pocketed it,adding, "Well, I suppose I'll have to give in. How long do you say--twomonths?"

  "Three," said Loman. "Oh, thanks, Cripps, I really _will_ pay up then."

  "You'd better, because, mind you, if you don't, I shall walk straight tothe governor. Don't make any mistake about that."

  "Oh, yes, so you may," said the wretched Loman, willing to promiseanything in his eagerness.

  Finally it was settled. Cripps was to wait three months longer; andLoman, although knowing perfectly well that there was absolutely lesschance then of having the money than there had been now, felt a weighttemporarily taken off his mind, and was all gratitude.

  Of course, he stayed a while as usual and tasted Mr Cripps's beer, andof course he met again not a few of his new friends--sharpers, most ofthem, of Cripps's own stamp, or green young gentlemen of the town, likeLoman himself. From one of the latter Loman had the extraordinary "goodluck" that afternoon to win three pounds over a wager, a sum which he atonce handed over to Cripps in the most virtuous way, in furtherliquidation of his debt.

  Indeed, as he left the place, and wandered slowly back to SaintDominic's, he felt quite encouraged.

  "There's eight pounds of it paid right off," said he to himself; "andbefore Christmas something is sure to turn up. Besides, I'm sure to getsome more money from home between now and then. Oh, it'll be allright!"

  So saying he tried to dismiss the matter from his mind and think ofpleasanter subjects, such, for instance, as Oliver's crime, and his ownclever use of it to delude the Sixth.

  Things altogether were looking up with Loman. Cheating, lying, andgambling looked as if they would pay after all!