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They all touched their mortar-boards and he smiled benignly upon them, reserving a rather stern glance for Brockett, the organist, of whose musical eccentricities he did not at all approve. Here, too, are traces of the dormitory and infirmary which formerly stood there.
The Signor had a key of his own and Peter was soon inside a hall that smelt of oilcloth and the cooking of beef; the gas was burning, but the only things that really benefited from its light were a long row of mournful black coats that hung against the wall. Peter sneezed, and was suddenly conscious of an enormous woman whom he knew by instinct to be Mrs. Brockett.
"I was thinking of you when Brockett came to tell me you were here. Won't you go away from Mount Hope? I want you to forget, no " for she was about to speak; "wait until I have finished; even if I am acquitted this will always be something discreditable in the eyes of the world, it's going to follow me through life! It is going to be hard for me to bear, it will be doubly hard for you, dear.
Brockett guessed the order he had wished to give, and the big key slid around in the old-fashioned lock of the jury-room door. Heavy-visaged and hesitating, the twelve men filed into court, and at sight of them John North's heart seemed to die within his breast. He no longer hoped nor doubted, he knew their verdict, he was caught in some intricate web of circumstance!
He opened it, and found the Signor, no longer in a tail-coat, but in a short, faded blue jacket that made him look shabbier than ever. "Excuse not intruding, I hope?" He looked gloomily round the room. "Everything all right?" "Very nice," said Peter. "Ah, you'll like it at first but never mind. Wonderful woman, Mrs. Brockett. I expect you were alarmed just now." "I was, a little," admitted Peter.
Bowen, of Orchard Estate; and the third from Mr. Brockett, of Hopewell and Content Estates, the property of Mr. Miles, M.P. for Bristol.
And yet the things that he had told her were not altogether a surprise; she had not known him for seven years without seeing signs of some other temper and spirit controlled indeed, but nevertheless there, and very different from the pleasant, happy Peter who played with the Tressiter children and dared to chaff Mrs. Brockett.
There was a light in the organ-loft; very softly Brockett began his voluntary clatter, clatter, clatter, and the School arrived, the small boys, swallowed by their Eton collars, first, filing into their places to the right of the screen, then the middle boys, a little indifferent and careless, then the Fifth and Sixth in their "stick-up" collars, haughty and indifferent indeed.
Stern Mrs. Brockett was crying. Mrs. Lazarus woke for a moment and smiled upon them all. She took Peter's hand. "Be good to old people," she breathed very faintly then she closed her eyes and so died. Below in the street a boy was calling the evening papers. "Arrival of the Prince and Princess of Schloss.... Arrival of the Prince and " They closed the windows and pulled down the blinds.
I must keep that dark for a bit. There's been trouble at the bookshop. It'll be all right I expect but I don't want Mother Brockett to stand any chance of being mixed up in it. I shall just disappear for a week or two and then I'll be back again." She smiled at him bravely: "Well, I won't ask what's happened, if you don't want to tell me, but of course I shall miss you.
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