CHAPTER SIX.
MR CRIPPS THE YOUNGER.
Loman was a comparatively new boy at Saint Dominic's. He had enteredeighteen months ago, in the Fifth Form, having come direct from anotherschool. He was what many persons would call an agreeable boy, althoughfor some reason or other he was never very popular. What that somethingwas, no one could exactly define. He was clever, and good-tempered, andinoffensive. He rarely quarrelled or interfered with any one, and hehad been known to do more than one good-natured act. But whether it wasthat he was conceited, or selfish, or not quite straight, or a littlebit of all three, he never made any very great friends at SaintDominic's, and since he had got into the Sixth and been made a monitor,he had quite lost the favour of his old comrades in the Fifth.
As far as Wraysford and Greenfield were concerned, this absence ofgoodwill had ripened into something like soreness, by the way in whichLoman had made use of his own position as a monitor, on a casualreference by Oliver to the probable coming of Stephen to SaintDominic's, to secure that young gentleman as his fag, although he quitewell knew that Wraysford was counting on having him. Though of coursethe captain's word was final, the two friends felt that they had notbeen quite fairly dealt with in the matter. They took no trouble toconceal what they thought from Loman himself, who seemed to deriveconsiderable satisfaction from the fact, and to determine to keep hishand on the new boy quite as much for the sake of "scoring off" hisrivals as on the fag's own account.
Loman, Wraysford, and Greenfield _were_ rivals in more matters than one.They were all three candidates for a place in the school eleven, andall three candidates for the Nightingale Scholarship next autumn; andbesides this, they each of them aspired to control the JuniorDominicans; and it was a sore mortification to Loman to find that,though a monitor, his influence among the small fry was by no means asgreat as that of the two Fifth Form boys, who were notoriously popular,and thought much of by their juniors.
For these and other reasons, the relations between the two friends andLoman were at the present time a little "strained."
To Stephen, however, Loman was all civility. He helped him in hislessons, and gave him the reversion of his feasts, and exercised hismonitorial authority against Master Bramble in a way that quite charmedthe new boy, and made him consider himself fortunate to have fallen intothe hands of so considerate a lord.
When he entered Loman's study after his first morning's work in class,he found that youth in a highly amiable frame of mind, and delighted tosee him.
"Hullo, Greenfield!" he said; "how are you? and how are you getting on?I hear you are in the Fourth Junior; all among the Guinea-pigs andTadpoles, eh? Which do you belong to?"
"I don't know," said Stephen; "they are going to draw lots for meto-morrow."
"That's a nice way of being elected! I say, have you any classes thisafternoon?"
"No; Mr Rastle has given us a half-holiday."
"That's just the thing. I'm going to scull up the river a bit afterdinner, and if you'd like you can come and steer for me."
Stephen was delighted. Of all things he liked boating. They lived neara river at home, he said, and he always used to steer for Oliver there.
So, as soon as dinner was over, the two went down to the boathouse andembarked.
"Which way shall you row?" asked Stephen, as he made himself comfortablein the stern of the boat, and took charge of the rudder-lines.
"Oh, up stream. Keep close in to the bank, out of the current."
It was a beautiful afternoon, and Loman paddled lazily and luxuriouslyup, giving ample time to Stephen, if so inclined, to admire the woodedbanks and picturesque windings of the Shar. Gusset Lock was reached indue time, and here Loman suggested that Stephen should get out and goround and look at the weir, while he went on and took the boat through.Stephen acceded and landed, and Loman paddled on to the lock.
"Hello, maister," called down a feeble old voice, as he got up to thegate.
"Hullo, Jeff, is Cripps about?" replied Loman.
"Yas; he be inside or somewheres, maister," replied the old lock-keeper.
"All right! take the boat up; I want to see Cripps."
Cripps was the son of the old man whom Loman had addressed as Jeff. Hewas not exactly a gentleman, for he kept the Cockchafer public-house atMaltby, and often served behind the bar in his own person. Neither washe altogether a reputable person, for he frequently helped himself to anoverdose of his own beverages, besides being a sharp hand at billiards,and possessing several packs of cards with extra aces in them. Neitherwas he a particularly refined personage, for his choice of words wasoften more expressive than romantic, and his ordinary conversation wasfrequently the reverse of edifying; it mainly had to do with details ofthe stable or the card-room, and the anecdotes with which he enlivenedit were often "broader than they were long," to put it mildly. Inshort, Cripps was a blackguard by practice, whatever he was byprofession. He had, however, one redeeming virtue; he was very partialto young gentlemen, and would go a good bit out of his way to meet one.He always managed to know of something that young gentlemen had a fancyfor. He could put them into the way of getting a thoroughbred bull-dogdirt-cheap; he could put them up to all the tips at billiards and "Nap,"and he could make up a book for them on the Derby or any other race,that was bound to win. And he did it all in such a pleasant, frank waythat the young gentlemen quite fell in love with him, and entrustedtheir cash to him with as much confidence as if he were the Bank ofEngland.
Of all the young gentlemen whose privilege it had been to make theacquaintance of Mr Cripps--and there were a good many--he professed thegreatest esteem and admiration for Loman, of Saint Dominic's school, towhom he had been only recently introduced. The two had met at thelock-keeper's house a week ago, when Loman was detained there an hour ortwo by stress of weather, and, getting into conversation, as gentlemennaturally would, Loman chanced to mention that he wanted to come acrossa really good fishing-rod.
By a most curious coincidence, Mr Cripps had only the other day beenasked by a particular friend of his, who was removing from the countryto London--"where," said Mr Cripps, "there ain't over much use for arod,"--if he knew of any one in want of a really good fishing-rod. Itwas none of your ordinary ones, made out of green wood with pewterjoints, but a regular first-class article, and would do for trout orperch or jack, or any mortal fish you could think of. Cripps had seenit, and flattered himself he knew something about rods, but had neverseen one to beat this. Reel and all, too, and a book of flies into thebargain, if he liked. He had been strongly tempted to get it forhimself--it seemed a downright sin to let such a beauty go--and wouldhave it if he had not already got a rod, but of a far inferior sort, ofhis own. And he believed his friend would part with it cheap.
"I tell you what, young gentleman," said he, "I'll bring it up with menext time I come, and you shall have a look at it. Of course, you cantake it or not, as you like, but if my advice is worth anything--well,never mind, I suppose you are sure to be up stream in the course of thenext week or so."
"Oh, yes," said Loman, who in the presence of this universal genius wasquite deferential; "when can you bring it?"
"Well, my time ain't so very valuable, and I'd like to oblige you overthis little affair. Suppose we say to-day week. I'll have the rodhere, and you can try him."
"Thank you--have you--that is--about what--"
"You mean, about what figure will he want for it? Well, I don't knowexactly. They run so very various, do good rods. You could get whatthey call a rod for ten bob, I dare say. But _you_ wouldn't hardlyfancy that style of thing."
"Oh no; if it was a really good one," said Loman, "I wouldn't mindgiving a good price. I don't want a rotten one."
"That's just it. This one I'm telling you of is as sound as a bell, andas strong as iron. And _you_ know, as well as I do, these things arealways all the better after a little use. My friend has only used thistwice. But I'll find out about the price, and drop you a line, y
ouknow. May be 2 pounds or 3 pounds, or so."
"I suppose that's about what a really good rod ought to cost?" saidLoman, who liked to appear to know what was what, but secretly rathertaken aback by this estimate.
"So it is. It's just a guess of mine though; but I know for _me_ he'llput it as low as he can."
"I'm sure I shall be very much obliged to you," said Loman, "if you canmanage it for me."
"Not at all, young gentleman. I always like to oblige where I can;besides, you would do as much for me, I'll wager. Well, good-day, Mr--what's your name?"
"Loman--at Saint Dominic's. You'll send me a line, then about theprice?"
"Yes, sir. Good-day, sir."
But Mr Cripps had forgotten to send the line, and to-day, when Loman,according to arrangement, came up to the lock-keeper's to receive therod, the keeper of the Cockchafer was most profuse in his apologies. Hewas most sorry, but his friend had been ill and not able to attend tobusiness. He had been a _trifle_ afraid from what he heard that he wasnot quite as anxious to part with that rod as formerly. But Cripps hadgone over on purpose and seen him, and got his promise that he shouldhave it to-morrow certain, and if Mr Loman would call or send up, itshould be ready for him, without fail.
At this stage, Stephen, having explored the weir, rejoined hisschoolfellow, and the two, after partaking of a bottle of ginger-beer atMr Cripps's urgent request, returned with the stream to SaintDominic's.
The result of this delay was to make Loman doubly anxious to secure thisfamous fishing-rod, on which his heart was set. Next day, however, hehad classes all the afternoon, and could not go himself. He thereforedetermined to send Stephen.
"I want you to run up to Gusset Weir," said he to his fag, "to fetch mea rod the keeper's son is getting for me. Be quick back, will you? andask him what the price is."
So off Stephen trotted, as soon as school was over, in spite of thecounter attraction of a Guinea-pig cricket match. When he reached thelock, Cripps had not arrived.
"He warn't be long, young maister," said old Jeff, who was one of thesnivelling order. "Take a seat, do 'ee. Nice to be a young gemm'un, Isays--us poor coves as works wery 'ard, we'd like to be young gemm'untoo, with lots o' money, and all so comfortable off. Why, youngmaister, you don't know now what it is to be in want of a shillun. Ido!"
Stephen promptly pulled out one of his five shillings of pocket-money inanswer to this appeal, and felt rather ashamed to appear "comfortableoff" in the presence of this patriarch.
"Not that I complains o' my lot, young gemm'un," continued old Cripps,pulling his forelock with one hand and pocketing the shilling with theother. "No, I says, the honest working man don't do no gooda-grumblin', but when he's got his famerly to feed," [old Cripps was awidower, and his family consisted of the landlord of the Cockchafer],"and on'y this here shillin' to do it with--"
Stephen was _very_ green. He almost cried at the sight of thisdestitute, tottering, honest old man, and before the latter could getfarther in his lament another shilling was in his palsied old hand, andthe grey old forelock was enduring another tug.
It was well for Stephen that Mr Cripps junior turned up at thisjuncture, or the entire five shillings might have made its way into theold man's pouch.
Mr Cripps junior had the rod. He had had a rare job, he said, to getit, for his friend had only yesterday had an offer of 3 pounds 15shillings, and was all but taking it. However, here it was, and foronly 3 pounds 10 shillings tell Mr Loman; such a bargain as he wouldn'toften make in his life, and he could get him the fly-book for asovereign if he liked. And Mr Cripps would charge him nothing for histrouble.
After this Mr Cripps junior and the boy got quite friendly. The formerwas greatly interested in hearing about Saint Dominic's, especially whenhe understood Stephen was a new boy. Cripps could remember the day when_he_ was a new boy, and had to fight three boys in three hours the firstafternoon. He was awfully fond of cricket when he was a boy. WasStephen?
"Oh, yes," said Stephen; "I like it more than anything."
"Ah, you should have seen the way we played. Bless me! I'd a bat, myboy, that could tip the balls clean over the school-house. You've got abat, of course, or else--"
"No, I haven't," said Stephen. "I shall get one as soon as I can."
"Well, that _is_ lucky! Look here, young gentleman," continued Crippsconfidentially; "I've taken a fancy to you. It's best to be plain andspeak out. I've taken a fancy to you, and you shall have that bat.It's just your size, and the finest bit of willow you ever set eyes on.I'll wager you'll make top score every time you use it. You shall haveit. Never mind about the stumpy--"
"Stumpy!" ejaculated Stephen; "I don't want stumps, only a bat."
"What I meant to say was, never mind about the price. You can give mewhat you like for it. I wish I could make you a present of it. My eye,it's a prime bat! Spliced! Yes. Treble-cane, as I'm a poor man. I'llsend it up to you, see if I don't, and you can pay when you like."
And so he chattered on, in a way which quite charmed Stephen, and madehim rejoice in his new friend, and still more at the prospect of thebat.
"If it's awfully dear," he said, at parting, with a sort of sigh, "Icouldn't afford it. My pocket-money's nearly all gone."
He did not say how.
"Oh, never mind, not if you don't pay at all," replied the genialCripps. "You'll be having more tin soon, I bet."
"Not till June," said Stephen.
"Well, leave it till June--no matter. But you may as well have the useof the bat now. Good-day, Master Green--"
"Greenfield, Stephen Greenfield," said Stephen.
"Good-day, and give my respects to Mr Loman, and I hope I shall see youboth again."
Stephen hoped so too, and went off, highly elated, with Loman's rodunder his arm.
Loman pulled rather a long face at hearing the price, and pulled a stilllonger face when Stephen told him about the bat. He read his fag a longlecture about getting into debt and pledging his pocket-money inadvance.
That evening Stephen was solemnly tossed up for by the Guinea-pigs andTadpoles. "Heads, Guinea-pigs; tails, Tadpoles." It turned up heads,and from that time forward Greenfield junior was a Guinea-pig.