Louis' School Days Part 41

"Nonsense," said Hamilton, kindly; "you won't persuade me that nothing is the matter, Frank."

"Nothing particular," said Frank, fidgeting with a penny that lay on the mantelpiece; "only the doctor has been giving me a lecture for the good of my morals, that's all."

"A lecture?" repeated Norman.

"What's been the matter, Frank?" said Reginald.

"A small moral discourse upon the sin and danger of practical jokes,"

said Frank, swallowing down such an evident degree of emotion as convinced his auditors that the discourse had been no ordinary one.

"His hints were rather peculiar, Hamilton--too decided for so quick-sighted a youth as myself. I don't wonder he has such a horror of a joke; I should think the dear man never was guilty of such a crime in his life himself; or he has a strong imagination; or, perhaps, a bad opinion of your humble servant--all the same--the cause doesn't much signify; the effect's what one looks at."

"Something dreadfully mysterious," said Reginald.

Hamilton was silent. He watched anxiously Frank's varying countenance, the twitching of which, as well as the thick, quick tone in which he spoke, betrayed great excitement.

"The fact is, I suppose, the doctor has reasons for his suspicions,"

continued Frank, still more quickly, while his face grew redder, and his eyelids twinkled painfully, and the penny was fairly spun into the fender.

"I haven't been quite so sage as I might have been, and, perhaps, jokes may not be quite gentlemanly--but,--but, Hamilton,--he thinks,--he thinks--and almost said it--that _I changed your poem_."

"What a shame!" they cried.

Frank stooped to pick up the penny, and was some minutes finding it.

When he rose, he said:

"One will grow old in time, but it's hard to pay so dearly for good spirits. However, you couldn't expect such a flow cheap, I suppose,"

he added, with a little laugh.

"You must have mistaken him," said Trevannion; "he couldn't have meant it."

"I am not in the habit of taking offence at nothing," replied Frank.

"Nay, I can be as purposely obtuse as any one when I choose, but one couldn't be blind."

"What did he say?" said Reginald.

"I don't exactly remember--a heap about 'pain inflicted,' of 'misconstructions being placed on motives,' of 'transgressions against honor and kindliness;' and then, when I was at a loss to comprehend him, he said, 'he could not understand the gratification of seeing another disappointed and annoyed--when he discovered that his school-fellow, whom he confidently trusted, had subst.i.tuted a blank sheet for a carefully, laboriously-written work;' and then I asked him if he supposed I had tricked Hamilton? and he said he couldn't think of another who was so likely to do it as myself--that 'the constant indulgence in these senseless follies was likely to blunt the sense of honor,' 'that I must excuse him'--excuse him, forsooth--'if he spoke his mind on the subject:' and then he raked up an old affair, that happened ages ago, about an exercise--Salisbury, you remember--you were the victim; but that was a paltry, every-day affair, only he didn't seem to understand the difference. I'll back the doctor up for as good a memory as any man in the three kingdoms.

I had forgotten that piece of moral turpitude, and might have been excused for imagining that the caning I got then had wiped out the offence. Hamilton," he added, with a faltering voice, laying his hand on Hamilton's shoulder--"you don't believe I did it?"

"To be sure not, Frank," said Hamilton, heartily shaking Frank's hand.

"I know you too well--I am as confident of you as I should be of myself in the same case. Don't think any more of it. I am sure the doctor doesn't believe it himself: he only wants to show what might be thought if you get a character for playing tricks. I am excessively vexed at this."

"I don't feel at all certain he believes me yet," said Frank; "but this I declare, that unless your poem is found, I will withdraw all claim--I won't touch the prize for any consideration."

"Don't do that, Frank," said Hamilton; "I'll give you some trouble yet with my new one."

"If that gets it, so much the better," said Frank, "and I dare say it will; but you all hear--my mind is made up--I won't have a prize for this poem unless it is gained over Hamilton's first."

"How came the doctor to begin this rigmarole?" asked Salisbury.

Frank blushed, and replied, with a conscious laugh: "I did an abominably foolish thing last night, in dipping all the bed-room candles that were standing in the pantry, into a tempting basin of water; and Mrs. Guppy was malicious because the candles sputtered and wouldn't light, and, as usual, determined that I had done it; and Fudge taxed me with it this morning."

"I wish," said Hamilton, emphatically, "I could discover the author of this shameful piece of business. It was vexatious enough in the first place, but this is painful to us all. Frank, every one knows you."

"Doctor best of all," put in Frank.

"I will give myself up to discovering who has done it," said Hamilton.

"You had better give yourself up to finis.h.i.+ng your poem," said Reginald; "for it's my humble opinion if you haven't found it now, your eyes won't discover the clue, if you were Argus himself."

The others then began a rather noisy debate on the impropriety of their master's behavior; and little Alfred, finding his brother was not speaking, ventured to remind him of his promise. Contrary to his usual habit, Hamilton turned quite crossly to him:

"What an idle fellow you are! Why don't you get _Lempriere_ and find them out for yourself?--you ought not to be beginning now."

"I tried, Edward, but I couldn't understand it, and it went out of my head. I want to know about Cecropia again--I forget what country it was, Edward," said the child, timidly, noticing an ominous reddening of his brother's face.

"A great deal of use it is giving you any information, is it not, sir?

I have a great mind to make you write out every word I say. And pray what else have you forgotten?"

"Not _forgotten_ any thing," said Alfred, meekly; "but I wanted to know, please Edward, who was Hannibal's father, and whether it was true about Hannibal's making the rocks red hot, and pouring vinegar on them? I don't think it could, for I don't know where he could get so much."

"A great deal he carried in his own countenance," said Frank, "and the rest was made from the wine supplied for the Carthaginian officers.

There's nothing like white-wine vinegar, Alfred; and the Carthaginians were renowned for parting with luxuries on an emergency."

"Now I know that's your nonsense," said Alfred, looking very puzzled.

"And, please Edward, who was Philomela and--"

"That's enough--one at a time!" exclaimed Hamilton; "get _Lempriere_, and my Roman History, and you shall look them out with me. It's to be hoped you are not dreaming of a prize."

"Poor infant!" said Salisbury; "it's hard work, I know, to remember the difference between those heathen chaps."

Alfred had just brought the required books, and was opening them by his brother's desire, and Hamilton was standing near him at the table, when suddenly a packet was thrown into the room, and fell at his feet.

Changing color, he picked it up with the rapidity of lightning, and, with an exclamation, rushed out of the room, before any one but Alfred had seen the transaction. Louis had just gained the threshold of the door leading to the playground, when Hamilton hailed him, and his long strides gaining on Louis' terror-impeded steps, he presently reached him, and, grasping him tightly by both arms, bore him back to the cla.s.s-room, sternly desiring two or three boys, who attempted to follow, to stay behind. Louis did not make any resistance, and Hamilton, after locking the door and putting the key into his pocket, brought him irresistibly to the front of the fire, and, placing him with his back against the table, opposite the a.s.sembled group, desired him, under pain of instant punishment, to remain where he was.

"What is the matter with him, Hamilton?" asked Reginald.

"You shall see presently," said Hamilton; "I mean to have some inquiries answered: and please, Mortimer, however unpleasant it may be to you, let us have fair play."

"I only stipulate it for Louis too," said Reginald.

"He shall have it," said Hamilton, calmly; "but if he attempts to move till I have done, I will carry him at once to Dr. Wilkinson."

Hamilton glanced at the windows, where five or six heads were darkening the lower panes, in their eagerness to discover the cause of Louis' forcible abduction; and, walking coolly up to them, bolted them, and drew down both blinds. He then returned to his place, and, drawing his coat-tails under his arms, arranged himself with his back to the fire, exactly opposite to Louis, who stood pa.s.sively where he had been placed, very pale, but otherwise showing little emotion.

"Now, sir," began Hamilton, "explain how you got this."

As he spoke, he produced, to the astonishment of his school-fellows, the parcel--rubbed at the edges, but still the identical parcel, as he proved, by breaking the seal, and showing the writing inside.

"What! Louis Mortimer!" exclaimed Jones.