Louis' School Days Part 7

"I beg your pardon, sir, but I can't help it,--I feel so angry when I think of it, that I am afraid I should knock him down again if he were to repeat it."

"For shame, sir!" said the doctor, sternly; "I should have thought that you had already had a lesson you would not easily have forgotten. What did he say of your brother that irritated you? I insist upon knowing."

"He said Louis was--that Louis did not speak the truth, sir. He said that I believed it--that _I_ believed it"--and Reginald's pa.s.sionate sobs choked his utterance.

"Believed what?" asked the doctor.

"Something that happened yesterday," said Reginald; "he said that--he was a hypocrite, and he went on taunting me about last summer."

"_About last summer!_" repeated the doctor.

"Yes, sir--about a mistake. n.o.body makes allowances for Louis. I could have borne it all if he had not said that _I_ knew Louis was a liar. I'd knock any one down that I was able who should say so! Indeed," continued Reginald, fiercely, "I begged him to leave off, and not provoke me, but he would have it, and he knew what I was."

"Enough--enough--hush," said Dr. Wilkinson: "I beg I may hear no more of knocking down. Don't add to your fault by working yourself into a pa.s.sion with me. Some provocation you certainly have had, but nothing can justify such unrestrained fury. Consider what would have been your condition at present, if your rage had been fatal to your cousin; it would have availed you little to have pleaded the aggravation; your whole life would have been embittered by the indulgence of your vengeful feelings--one moment have destroyed the enjoyment of years. Thank G.o.d, Mortimer, that you have been spared so terrible a punishment. But you will always be in danger of this unless you learn to put a curb on your hasty temper. The same feelings which urge you into a quarrel as a boy, will hurry you into the duel as a man. It is a false spirit of honor and manliness that makes you so ready to resent every little insult. In the life of the only perfect Man that ever lived, our great Example and Master, we do not see this impatience of contradiction: 'When He was reviled, He reviled not again;' and if He, the Lord of all, could condescend to endure such contradiction of sinners against Himself, shall it be too much for us to bear a little with the contradiction of our fellow-creatures? My boy, if we do not strive to bear a little of the burden and heat of the day, we are not worthy to bear the n.o.ble name of Christians."

"I am very sorry, sir," said Reginald, quite softened by the earnest manner of his master; "I am very sorry I have been so hasty and wrong.

I dare not make any promises for the future, for I know I cannot certainly keep them, but, with G.o.d's help, I hope to remember what you have so kindly said to me."

"With His help we may do all things," said Dr. Wilkinson; "you may by this help overcome the stumbling-stone of your violent pa.s.sions, which otherwise may become an effectual barrier in the way of your attaining the prize of eternal life; and remember that 'he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.'"

There was a minute's silence, which Reginald broke by asking if he might attend on Frank until he was well.

"Can I hope that you will be gentle," said the doctor; "that you will remember he is in invalid--one of your making, Mortimer; and that if he is impatient and fretful, you are the cause?"

"I will try, sir, to make amends to him," said Reginald, looking down; "I hope I may be able to be patient."

"I will give orders that you may go to him," said the doctor; and after a pause, he added, "another offence of this kind I shall visit with the heaviest displeasure. I am in hopes that the anxiety you have undergone, and the present state of your cousin, may be a lesson to you; but if I find this ineffectual, I shall cease to consider you a reasonable creature, and shall treat you accordingly."

Dr. Wilkinson then rose and left the room. Reginald lingered a few minutes to compose himself before joining his school-fellows; his heart was very full, and he felt an earnest desire to abide by his master's counsel, as well as grateful for the leniency and kindness with which he had been treated, which made him feel his fault much more deeply than the severest punishment.

The breakfast time was very unpleasant for Louis that morning; he was full of anxiety as to the result of Mr. Witworth's discovery, and his sickness of heart entirely deprived him of appet.i.te. When the meal was dispatched, Reginald went off to Frank, whom he found in a darkened room, very restless and impatient. He had pa.s.sed a very bad night, and was suffering considerable pain. Reginald had to endure much ill-nature and peevishness; all of which he endeavored to bear with gentleness, and during the time Frank was ill, he gave up all his play-hours to wait on him and to amuse him as he grew better; and the exercise of patience which this office entailed was greatly beneficial to his hasty and proud spirit.

Mr. Danby was in the midst of the second-cla.s.s lessons that morning, when one of the first cla.s.s brought him a little slip of paper. Mr.

Danby glanced at the few words written thereon, and when the cla.s.s had finished he desired Louis to go to Dr. Wilkinson. All remnant of color fled from Louis' cheek, though he obeyed without making any reply, and with a very sinking heart entered the room where the doctor was engaged with the first cla.s.s. The keen eye of his master detected him the instant he made his appearance, but he took no notice of him until he had finished his business; then, while his pupils were putting up their books he turned to Louis, and pointing to a little table by his side, said, "_There_ is a volume, Louis Mortimer, with which I suspect you have some acquaintance."

Louis advanced to the table, and beheld the Key to Kenrick's Greek Exercises.

"You know it?" said the doctor.

"Yes, sir, but I did not use it," said Louis.

"You will not deny that it was found among your books in the school-room," said the doctor.

"I know, sir, Mr. Witworth found it, but I a.s.sure you I did not put it there," replied Louis, very gently.

"Have you never used it at all?" asked Dr. Wilkinson.

"Never, sir," replied Louis, firmly.

At this moment, he met the eye of Hamilton, who was standing near Dr. Wilkinson, and who looked very scornfully and incredulously at him as he paused to hear the result of the inquiry. Louis remembered that Hamilton had seen the key Churchill had left, and he hastily exclaimed, "I a.s.sure you, Mr. Hamilton, I did not."

"What is this, Hamilton?" said Dr. Wilkinson, turning round.

"Do you know any thing of this matter?"

"I would much rather not answer," said Hamilton, abruptly, "if you will excuse me, sir."

"I must, however, beg that you will, if you please," replied the doctor.

"I really know nothing positively, I can say nothing certainly. You would not wish, sir, that any imagination of mine should prejudice you to Louis Mortimer's disadvantage; I am not able to say any thing,"

and Hamilton turned away in some confusion, vexed that he should have been appealed to.

Dr. Wilkinson looked half perplexed--he paused a moment and fixed his eyes on the table. Louis ventured to say, "Mr. Hamilton saw a book once before with my lesson books, but I never used it."

"What do you mean by _saw a book_?" asked the doctor. "What book did Mr. Hamilton see? How came it there, and why was it there?"

"It was 'Kenrick's Greek Exercises,' sir."

"You mean the 'Key,' I suppose?"

Louis answered in the affirmative.

"Whose was it?" asked the doctor, with a countenance more ominous in its expression.

"It was the one you took from Harrison, sir," replied Louis.

"Humph! I thought I took it away. Bring it here." Louis obeyed, and the doctor having looked at it, continued, "Well, you had this _with your lesson books_, you say. How did it come there?"

"One of the boys gave it to me, sir," replied Louis.

"And why did you not put it away?"

"I was going, sir;" and the color rushed into Louis' pale face. "I did not use it--and I hope I should not."

"Who left the book?" asked Dr. Wilkinson.

"Churchill, sir."

"Call Churchill, Salisbury."

Salisbury obeyed; and during his absence a profound silence reigned in the room, for all the first cla.s.s were watching the proceedings in deep interest. Dr. Wilkinson seemed lost in thought; and Louis, in painful anxiety, scanned the strongly marked countenance of his master, now wearing its most unpleasing mask, and those of Hamilton and Trevannion, alternately. Hamilton did not look at him, but bent over a table at a book, the leaves of which he nervously turned. Trevannion eyed him haughtily as he leaned in his most graceful att.i.tude against the wall behind the doctor's chair; and poor Louis read his condemnation in his eyes, as well as in the faces of most present.

Salisbury at length returned with Churchill, who was the more awe-struck at the unwonted summons, as he was so low in the school as seldom to have any business with the princ.i.p.al.

"Churchill," said the doctor, gravely, "I have sent for you to hear what is said of you. Now, Louis Mortimer, who gave you this book on the day Mr. Hamilton discovered it in your possession?"

"Churchill, sir," replied Louis, in great agitation; "you did, Churchill, did you not? Oh! do say you did."

"Hush," said the doctor. "What have you to say against this, Churchill?"