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"I'd have told the truth," he admitted to John, "if I could have shouldered that kid with the Manorites looking on." Among the Fifth Form boys of the Manor was a big coarse-looking youth of the name of Beaumont-Greene. Everybody called him Beaumont-Greene in full, because upon his first appearance at Bill he had stopped the line of boys by refusing to answer to the name of Greene.
You know better than I how much this will cost, but I am prepared to send you, say twenty-five or thirty pounds for such a purpose. Or, you can have the bills sent to me. "With love, "Your affectionate father, Beaumont-Greene, like the immortal Mr. Toots, rather fancied himself as a letter-writer. The longer he looked at his effusion, the more he liked it.
"On your word of honour?" "Yes." That night John told Fluff with great glee how Beaumont-Greene had been made to "sit up and howl." "Jambi" Iambic verses. "In honour of all who believe that life was made for friendship." The immediate result of the incident described in the last chapter was to strengthen the bond between John and Desmond.
I have not twenty-five pounds " "Thirty, if you please. I shall want thirty." "I have not quite that amount here, but I can get it." When the man came back with a small canvas bag in his hand, Beaumont-Greene had pocketed the letter. He received the money, counted it, thanked the tailor, and turned to go. "If you please, sir " "Yes?" "I should like to keep your father's letter, sir.
Somebody discovered that he was what Gilbert once described as an "imperfect ablutioner." The Caterpillar made a point of telling new boys the nature of the punishment meted out to the unclean. He had assisted at the "toshing" of Beaumont-Greene. "A nasty job," the Caterpillar would remark, looking at his own speckless finger-nails; "but it had to be done.
A fine cricketer, a plucky football-player, he might have proved a credit to his house had a master other than Dirty Dick been originally in command of it. Before he was out of the Shell, he had declared war against Authority. Beaumont-Greene, on the other hand, detested games, and sneered at those who played them.
This may mean the loss of our business, and worse too. You put on your hat and go straight to the Manor. Mr. Warde's a gentleman, and I don't think he'll let me and the children suffer for your foolishness. Don't you wait another minute." Nor did he. After prayers that night, Warde asked Beaumont-Greene to come to his study. Beaumont-Greene obeyed, smiling blandly.
"I say yes." "You're not going to play with Lovell and that beast Beaumont-Greene?" "The Demon says no cards this term, when lock-up's late. And look here, Jonathan, I've made the Demon promise to make the peace between Lovell and you. You'll play for the House, of course, and we must all pull together, as Warde says."
His handwriting was not unlike his father's modelled, indeed, upon it. With a little careful manipulation of a few letters ! The day was cold, but Beaumont-Greene suddenly found himself in a perspiration. None the less, it seemed easier to forge a letter than to avow himself penniless. Detection? Impossible! Two or three tradesmen in Harrow would advance the money if he showed them this letter.
"A friend, sir no." "Of course," said Warde, reflectively, "if it is true that Beaumont-Greene borrowed this money to help a brother " He paused, staring at Lovell. From the bottom of a big heart he was praying that Lovell would not lie. "Beaumont-Greene certainly gave me to understand that the affair was pressing. Having the money, I hadn't the heart to refuse."
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