United States or Brazil ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"If you please, sir, would you mind coming to see one of the young gentlemen in our house before you start? He don't seem himself." The speaker was Mrs Phillips, the dame of Bickers's house, and the individual she addressed was Mark Railsford, who, with his portmanteau on the steps beside him, was impatiently awaiting the cab which should take him from Grandcourt for the Easter holidays.
I was greatly taken up with the sports, and had no time then. I felt sure you would understand." "I understood perfectly. I have brought the letter for you now," and he held it out. Railsford took it with some curiosity, for Mr Bickers's manner, besides being offensive, was decidedly mysterious. "Am I to read it?" "Please."
In fact, ever since Bickers came in here the other night and thrashed one of our fellows, the two houses have been at daggers drawn." "So Branscombe said. He didn't seem to care about coming in with me. I asked him." "I don't wonder. Some of the young fools down there would give him a hot reception for no other reason than that he belongs to Bickers's house."
When the boys of the school-House, Roe's, Bickers's, and Grover's turned out to the starting-post, Railsford's, chafing like greyhounds in the leash, turned in to their penitential dinner. "Never mind," said Ainger, as the distant shouts were wafted from the playing-fields into the common room, "it will be our turn to-day week!"
"Curious," said he to himself, "that in all probability, if that affair of Bickers's had not happened, we might never have risen as a house; indeed, it's almost a mercy the culprit has never been discovered, for we should have then been plunged back into the current, and the work of pulling ourselves together might never have been done.
But any stick is good enough to beat a dog with, and when Mr Bickers's boys had a mind to "go for" Moss's boys, they espoused the cause of Bickers, and when Mr Moss's boys went out to battle against those of Bickers's house, their war-cry was "Moss."
First of all he had nearly run into the arms of Branscombe, the captain of Bickers's house, who was inconveniently prowling about at the time, probably in search of some truant of his own house. Then in doubling to avoid this danger he had dimly sighted Mr Bickers himself, taking a starlight walk on Railsford's side of the square.
For Mr Bickers's letter was from Branscombe; and was as follows: "Sir, I have been expecting to return to Grandcourt all this term, but I am sorry to say I have been ill again, and the doctor says I shall have to go abroad for some months. Before I go, I feel I must make a confession which will surprise you as much to read as it pains me to write it.
Rather to Mr Bickers's surprise the fugitive passed the door of Railsford's, and made straight on towards the chapel, slackening pace as he did so. "A decoy," said the knowing master to himself. "Employed to draw me on while the rest make good their retreat.
"Hear, hear," said Grover and others, amongst whom Mr Bickers's voice was conspicuous. Railsford felt uncomfortable thus to become an object of general notice, and coloured up as he nodded his acknowledgments to the chairman. "They do not know of your scrape," said monsieur, cheerfully. "I would tell them about it, my good friend, before Meester Beekaire makes his little speech."
Word Of The Day