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Updated: June 4, 2025
Every Wednesday and Saturday, too, there was no afternoon school, the boys on these half- holidays being either allowed additional exercise in the so-called "playground," or taken out for long dreary walks under the escort of Smiley or the Cobbler; and on Sundays we were always marched to church in state, be the weather what it might, wet or fine, Dr Hellyer leading the van on these high parade occasions in full academical costume, and wearing a most wonderful sort of archdiaconal hat that had a very imposing effect with the two assistant masters acting as the rearguard, and closing the procession.
"Why, turn the poor fellows slightly a one side and then rub them smartly to restore the circulation," said the Captain promptly, suiting the action to the word; and, the next instant, he and the men were busily shampooing the boys till their arms ached. "Rub away, Hellyer; rub away!"
Oh, yes, you tell that to the marines!" Hellyer laughed. "You carry too many guns for me, sir," said he good-humouredly. "I can't stand up against you, Captain, once you tackle me fairly!" "Too strong, eh?" rejoined the Captain, triumphant at getting the better of his opponent. "Of course I am! Your argument, Hellyer, won't hold water.
He then whispered to me a plan he had thought of for signalising "the glorious Fifth," in spite of Dr Hellyer, and in a manner which that worthy would never dream of. It was a scheme quite worthy of Tom's fertile imagination. "Oh, won't it be a lark!" I cried, when he had finished; and we both then burst into an ecstasy of laughter at the very idea of the thing.
"Boy Leigh," he shouted out in his deep rolling voice, "stand up!" I obeyed the order, standing up between the table and the form on which I had been sitting; but Dr Hellyer said nothing further at the time, after seeing me come to the attitude of "attention," as a drill sergeant would have termed it, and there I remained while the other pupils proceeded with their meal.
However, as Tom magniloquently quoted, difficulties were only made for brave men or boys to surmount. By lifting one of the forms as quietly as we could close to the window, and standing on this, the two of us managed to raise the iron bar from the catch and let it swing down, although the hinges made a terrible creaking noise in the operation, which we thought would waken Dr Hellyer up.
"Your fortune is all in your own hands, and I hope and trust, if only for your father's sake, you will turn out well! Remember, that if Dr Hellyer gives a good general report of you at the end of your three years' term, I'll try to get you into a City warehouse or office; but if you behave badly, why, you'll have to shift for yourself, and go your own course, as I shall wash my hands of you!"
They had to give a handshake, too, to their friend Hellyer and all his fellow-coastguardsmen; besides having to go over the Captain's yacht, which had been sparred and rigged anew, the little Zephyr looking now "as fresh as paint again" after her eventful vicissitudes adrift in the Channel.
I couldn't help shivering in my shoes; and Dr Hellyer, noticing this, evidently thought that he had made sufficient impression for a start, for, dropping his terrible, rolling, ponderous voice, he spoke to me more amiably. "Now, leave your box here and it shall be taken up presently to the dormitory. Come along with me and I'll introduce you ah to your schoolfellows."
After holding all hearts for some time in suspense in this way, glaring round the room with an expression of diabolical amusement, such as a cat may sometimes assume when playing with a mouse before finally putting it out of its misery, Dr Hellyer spoke again. It was to the point. "Boy Leigh," he exclaimed, "come here." I advanced tremblingly to where he stood.
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