CHAPTER FIVE.
HOW MY MASTER ENTERED AND QUITTED THE HEAD MASTER'S STUDY TWICE IN ONEMORNING.
Charlie's first care in the morning was, as I need hardly say, to pullme out from under his pillow, and consult me as to the time. None ofhis companions were astir, so that, not having anything particular todo, he lay still, and abandoned himself to the luxury of an idle half-hour in bed.
His spirits were so greatly revived by his night's rest that he forgotboth the novelty and the loneliness of his position, and fell topolishing first his knife and then me as merrily as if he were at home.What a difference a sound sleep often makes in the aspect of ouraffairs! Twelve hours ago he had felt as if he could never besufficiently bold as to whistle within the walls of Randlebury, and nowthe first sight and sound which greeted Halliday's returning senses, ashe sat up and rubbed his eyes, was his young _protege_ whistling tohimself like a lark, and brightening me up with all his might with thecorner of his blanket till I glowed again at nearly a red heat.
"Who's that kicking up that row whistling?" growled a voice from the farend of the room; "because I'd like to shy a boot at his head."
At this Charlie subsided, not desiring to gratify his unknown auditor inhis benevolent desire, and very soon after jumped up and dressedhimself.
"Look here, youngster," said Joe, "you'd better do my study now, as youmayn't have time after breakfast to-day. You know which room it is--thesixth on your right when you get downstairs. Cut along, look sharp,you've a good half-hour."
Charlie made his way down to the lion's den, meeting on his way severalother discontented fags, bound on similar errands. He set himself toclean the window, tidy the cupboard, and generally put things square,and had succeeded fairly well in this endeavour by the time his patronmade his appearance.
"What's the time?" inquired that lord of creation, running his eyerapidly round the room at the same time, to notice how his fag had donehis duty.
"It's five minutes to eight," replied Charlie, after consulting me, andhighly delighted to be thus appealed to.
"Come along to breakfast, then. You'll have to sit at a different tablefrom me; but mind and wait for me afterwards, for I've got to take youto the doctor."
So Charlie was conducted down to the hall to breakfast, and providedwith a humble seat at the foot of the lowest table, while Joe Hallidaymade his way with all the dignity that became his years to adistinguished place at the highest.
My master found himself among a set of noisy little boys, who amusedthemselves during the greater part of the meal by interchanging volleysof bread pellets, which much oftener missed their marks than reachedthem, in consequence of which he himself came in for the brunt of thecannonade. Once he ventured to return one of the random shots which hadfound its way to his fingers. Fortune favoured his aim, and his shafthit the boy it was intended for full in the eye.
"Who did that?" cried the wounded hero sharply.
"I did," replied Charlie, quite proud of his achievement.
"All right, I'll punch your head for it when we get outside."
This was by no means what Charlie had expected. He had imagined thewound would be received in the same spirit of jest in which it wasaimed.
"It was only in fun," he explained; "did it hurt you?"
"Of course it did," exclaimed the injured youth, who till Charlie'sarrival had been the junior pupil of the school, and was now delightedto find some one below himself in the scale of seniority. "Of course itdid, and you'll catch it."
All the other boys laughed, and Charlie, who could not find it in him tobe overawed by even so majestic a hero as little Master Johnny Walker,made the best of his position.
"Look here," he said, "I'll give you three shots at my mouth, and ifyou--"
"There's too much talking at table six!" exclaimed an awful voice, andinstantly every voice was hushed, including Charlie's, who blushed tothe roots of his hair, and felt as if he had been singled out before thewhole school as a rioter. He gulped down his breakfast without furtherargument with Master Walker, and was relieved, when the meal was over,to find that that doughty warrior appeared to have altered his mindabout punching his youthful head.
After some time he saw Halliday beckoning to him from the other side ofthe room.
"Now you've got to go to the doctor," said he; "come along."
This was the first time my master had fully realised the solemn natureof the approaching interview, and I felt his heart flutter as heinquired,--
"I say, what will he say to me?"
"Oh, all sorts of things; you'd better mind what you're up to, I cantell you," was the reassuring reply.
"Do you think I shall get in a row for driving the cab yesterday?"faltered Charlie.
"Shouldn't wonder," was the reply.
"Oh, dear! And do you think he saw me hit Johnny Walker in the eye atbreakfast?"
"What, were you the boy who was kicking up all that row? My eye! you'rein for it! Here you are; I'll knock for you."
And giving the poor trembling boy not so much as an instant in which tocollect his flurried ideas, Joe gave a rap at the door, which wasanswered at once by a sharp "Come in!" from within.
"Now then," said Halliday, "in you go."
Charlie's knees shook under him, and he hung back from that awful doorin mute terror.
"Come in!" again cried the voice.
"Do you hear, you young muff?" exclaimed Halliday. "Won't you catch it!Go in, will you?"
And opening the door himself he fairly pushed my poor master into thehead master's study.
Fancy the agony of the poor boy, fully believing himself a doomedmiscreant, entering for the first time the awful presence of the headmaster of Randlebury School.
He stood there with downcast eyes, not daring to speak, and rooted tothe spot.
"Why, what's the matter, my boy?"
At the words Charlie started like one electrified. He had surely heardthat voice before somewhere! He looked up, and what was hisastonishment to find in his dreaded principal no other than thegentleman with whom he had yesterday spent such a friendly hour in thetrain between Gunborough and Randlebury!
And his face was as kind as ever, and his voice encouraging, as herepeated,--
"What's the matter, my man? has the watch stopped."
"Oh, sir," said Charlie, running up to him, "I am glad it's you, and I'mso sorry I drove the cab, and hit Walker in the eye. I'll never do itagain!"
"Tut, tut," said the head master; "if you never do any worse than that,you won't go far wrong. I didn't tell you who I was yesterday, becauseI wanted you to manage for yourself, and fight your own battle on firstarriving. Now tell me how you have got on."
And Charlie faithfully recounted to him everything, including my suddenindisposition, and my cure by Tom Drift.
Dr Weldon (for that was his name) listened to his story, and thensaid,--
"Well, you've made a pretty good beginning. Now try to remember this:your father has sent you here for two reasons; one is that your head maybe furnished, and the other is that your character may be trained. Iand your teachers can undertake the first; but it depends chiefly on youhow the second succeeds. You will constantly be having to choose foryourself between what is right and what is wrong, and between what istrue and what is false. Take the advice of one who has passed throughall the temptations you are likely to meet here--rely always on a wisdomthat is better than your own, and when once you see which way dutycalls, follow that way as if your life depended on it. Do this, andyou'll turn out a far better man than the man who is talking to you.Whenever you are in trouble come to me, I shall always be glad to seeyou. I promised you, you know, I would ask for you occasionally, didn'tI? And now let's see what you've got in your head."
And then followed a brief examination, conducted in a way which putCharlie quite at his ease, and so enabled him to acquit himself with afair amount of credit and win from his master a commendation, which heprized not a little, for it wa
s that his father's efforts had not beenwasted on him.
"You will be put in the second-form," said the doctor, "and if you workhard, I see no reason why you should not get up into the third nextmidsummer. Now, good-bye. I hope you won't find the head master ofRandlebury is as `stiff and stuck-up a fellow' as you dreaded, and Itrust I shall find you as honest and brave a fellow as I hoped you wouldturn out the first time I saw you. Good-bye."
Charlie rose to leave with overflowing heart. He even forgot in themidst of his pleasant emotion to inquire, as he had fully intended todo, after the doctor's watch, and if it was still a quarter of an hourfast.
As he left the room he could not help contrasting with thankfulness hispresent state of mind with that in which he had entered it an hour ago.He laughed at himself for all his foolish fears then, and as for thefuture, that seemed now ever so much easier and brighter.
Outside the door he found Tom Drift passing along the corridor in astate of great excitement.
"The very chap, I declare," cried he. "I say, lend us your watch, youngun, will you?"
"What for?" asked Charlie.
"Only a time race. Tom Shadbolt says he can run a mile in 4.40. I sayhe can't do it under 4.50, and we've got a bet of half-a-crown a sideupon it. So lend us your watch to time him by."
Charlie hesitated, and a pang passed through his breast. He knew thatone of the things which he had promised his father was that he wouldhave nothing to do with betting or gambling in any form, and how couldhe obey in this respect if he now lent me for the purpose for which Iwas required? And yet he owed Tom Drift no common gratitude for thegood service he had done in setting me right yesterday, and surely ifany one had a right to borrow me it was he. The struggle was a soreone, but soon decided.
"I can't lend it you, Tom Drift."
"Why ever not?" asked Tom sharply.
"I'm very sorry; if it had been anything else--but I promised father Iwould not gamble."
"Young ass! who wants you to gamble? I only want you to lend us yourwatch."
"_You_ are gambling, though," said Charlie timidly.
"And what's that got to do with you, you young idiot," exclaimed Drift,fairly losing his temper, "if I am?"
"I'm very sorry," said Charlie, "especially as you put it all right. Ifit was anything else; but I can't for this."
"Look here," said Drift in a fury, "we've had fooling enough. Hand methe watch this moment, or I'll take it and smash it, and you into thebargain!"
"Oh, Tom Drift, don't do that. I would so gladly for anything else, butI promised father--"
"Once more, will you, or will you not?"
"I can't."
"Then take that!" and next moment Charlie received a blow full on thechest, which sent him staggering back against the wall.
Oh, how he wished that moment he had never owned me!
Tom came upon him with an angry oath, and seized him by the throat.
"Will you give it up?"
"No," replied Charlie.
He was fairly roused now; no boy--certainly no boy of his sort--canstand quietly by and receive undeserved blows. Tom tightened his gripon the boy's throat, and strove to snatch me from his pocket.
Quick as thought Charlie threw his arms round him, and, though thesmaller boy of the two, extricated himself from the clutch of the bully,and sent him in turn staggering back. Livid with rage, Tom rushed athim; but Charlie eluded him, and left him to overbalance himself andfall sprawling on the paved floor. At this instant the doctor's dooropened, and the head master stood gazing on the scene.
Poor Charlie! five minutes ago so full of bright hopes and braveresolutions, and now, under the eyes of the very man who had inspired inhim those hopes and resolutions, engaged in a common fight with aschoolfellow!
"What is all this?" asked the doctor sternly. "Come in here, you two."
Charlie, with sinking heart, entered again that solemn room, and Driftfollowed, sulky, and with a black bruise on his forehead.
Charlie left his antagonist to tell his story after his own fashion, andwas too dispirited either to contradict him or seek to justify himself.He felt ashamed of himself, and in his self-humiliation saw neitherdefence nor extenuation for his conduct.
Drift was dismissed with a few sharp words of reproof and warning.Charlie remained longer.
What the doctor said to him, and what he said to the doctor, I need nothere repeat. Suffice it to say, the former was able to form a fairerestimate of my master's conduct than he himself was. He did not blamehim; he even told him that no boy could expect to get through his schooldays without some blows, and advised him to see they were always on theright side. He talked to him long and seriously about home, and socomforted him in prospect of future difficulties and temptations, thatwhen he left that study the second time, it was as a wiser, thoughperhaps a sadder boy than before.