The Crofton Boys Part 10

"I ordered them an immediate caning, Mr Carnaby, and not mental torture. School is up," he declared to the boys at large. "You may go--you have been punished enough," he said to the little boys. "Mr Carnaby, have the goodness to remain a moment."

And the large room was speedily emptied of all but the master, the usher, and poor Lamb.

"The usher will catch it now," observed some boys, as the master himself shut the door behind them. "He will get well paid for his spite."

"What will be done to him?" asked Hugh of Dale, whom he loved fervently for having saved him from punishment.

"Oh, I don't know; and I don't care--though he was just going to give my head some sound raps against the wall, if Mr Tooke had not come up at the moment."

"But what _will_ be done to Mr Carnaby?"

"Never mind what: he won't be here long, they say. Fisher says there is another coming; and Carnaby is here only till that other is at liberty."

This was good news, if true: and Hugh ran off, quite in spirits, to play. He had set himself diligently to learn to play, and would not be driven off; and Dale had insisted on fair scope for him. He played too well to be objected to any more. They now went to leap-frog; and when too hot to keep it up any longer, he and Dale mounted into the apple-tree to talk, while they were cooling, and expecting the dinner-bell.

Something happened very wonderful before dinner. The gardener went down to the main road, and seemed to be looking out. At last he hailed the London coach. Hugh and Dale could see from their perch. The coach stopped, the gardener ran back, met Mr Carnaby under the chestnuts, relieved him of his portmanteau, and helped him to mount the coach.

"Is he going? Gone for good?" pa.s.sed from mouth to mouth, all over the playground.

"Gone for good," was the answer of those who knew to a certainty.

The boys set up first a groan, so loud that perhaps the departing usher heard it. Then they gave a shout of joy, in which the little boys joined with all their might--Hugh waving his cap in the apple-tree.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

WHAT IS ONLY TO BE HAD AT HOME.

Hugh got on far better with his lessons as he grew more intimate with Dale. It was not so much that Dale helped him with his grammar and construing (for Dale thought every boy should make s.h.i.+ft to do his own business) as that he liked to talk about his work, even with a younger boy; and so, as he said, clear his head. A great deal that he said was above Hugh's comprehension; and much of his repet.i.tions mere words: but there were other matters which fixed Hugh's attention, and proved to him that study might be interesting out of school. When Dale had a theme to write, the two boys often walked up and down the playground for half an hour together, talking the subject over, and telling of anything they had heard or read upon it. Hugh presently learned the names and the meanings of the different parts of a theme; and he could sometimes help with an ill.u.s.tration or example, though he left it to his friend to lay down the Proposition, and search out the Confirmation. Dale's nonsense-verses were perfect nonsense to Hugh: but his construing was not: and when he went over it aloud, for the purpose of fixing his lesson in his ear, as well as his mind, Hugh was sorry when they arrived at the end, and eager to know what came next,--particularly if they had to stop in the middle of a story of Ovid's. Every week, almost every day now, made a great difference in Hugh's school-life. He still found his lessons very hard work, and was often in great fear and pain about them,--but he continually perceived new light breaking in upon his mind: his memory served him better; the little he had learned came when he wanted it, instead of just a minute too late. He rose in the morning with less anxiety about the day: and when playing, could forget school.

There was no usher yet in Mr Carnaby's place; and all the boys said their lessons to Mr Tooke himself: which Hugh liked very much, when he had got over the first fear. A writing-master came from a distance twice a week, when the whole school was at writing and arithmetic all the afternoon: but every other lesson was said to the master; and this was likely to go on till Christmas, as the new usher, of whom, it was said, Mr Tooke thought so highly as to choose to wait for him, could not come before that time. Of course, with so much upon his hands, Mr Tooke had not a moment to spare; and slow or idle boys were sent back to their desks at the first trip or hesitation in their lessons. Hugh was afraid, at the outset, that he should be like poor Lamb, who never got a whole lesson said during these weeks: and he was turned down sometimes; but not often enough to depress him. He learned to trust more to his ear and his memory: his mind became excited, as in playing a game: and he found he got through, he scarcely knew how. His feeling of fatigue afterwards proved to him that this was harder work than he had ever done at home; but he did not feel it so at the time. When he could learn a lesson in ten minutes, and say it in one; when he began to use Latin phrases in his private thoughts, and saw the meaning of a rule of syntax, so as to be able to find a fresh example out of his own head, he felt himself really a Crofton boy, and his heart grew light within him.

The cla.s.s to which Hugh belonged was one day standing waiting to be heard, when the master was giving a subject and directions for an English theme to Dale's cla.s.s. The subject was the Pleasures of Friends.h.i.+p. In a moment Hugh thought of Damon and Pythias, and of David and Jonathan,--of the last of whom there was a picture in Mrs Watson's great Bible. He thought how happy he had been since he had known Dale, and his heart was in such a glow, he was sure he could write a theme.

He ran after Mr Tooke when school was over, and asked whether he might write a theme with Dale's cla.s.s. When Mr Tooke found he knew what was meant by writing a theme, he said he might try, if he neglected nothing for it, and wrote every word of it himself, without consultation with any one.

Hugh scampered away to tell Dale that they must not talk over this theme together, as they were both to do it; and then, instead of playing, he went to his desk, and wrote upon his slate till it was quite full. He had to borrow two slates before he had written all he had to say. Phil ruled his paper for him; but before he had copied one page, his neighbours wanted their slates back again,--said they must have them, and rubbed out all he had written. Much of the little time he had was lost in this way, and he grew wearied. He thought at first that his theme would be very beautiful: but he now began to doubt whether it would be worth anything at all; and he was vexed to have tired himself with doing what would only make him laughed at. The first page was well written out,--the Confirmation being properly separated from the Proposition: but he had to write all the latter part directly from his head upon the paper, as the slates were taken away; and he forgot to separate the Conclusion from the Inference.

He borrowed a penknife, and tried to scratch out half a line; but he only made a hole in the paper, and was obliged to let the line stand.

Then he found he had strangely forgotten to put in the chief thing of all,--about friends telling one another of their faults,--though, on consideration, he was not sure that this was one of the Pleasures of Friends.h.i.+p: so, perhaps, it did not much matter. But there were two blots; and he had left out Jonathan's name, which had to be interlined.

Altogether, it had the appearance of a very bad theme. Firth came and looked over his shoulder, as he was gazing at it; and Firth offered to write it out for him; and even thought it would be fair, as he had had nothing to do with the composition: but Hugh could not think it would be fair, and said, sighing, that his must take its chance. He did not think he could have done a theme so very badly.

Mr Tooke beckoned him up with Dale's cla.s.s, when they carried up their themes; and, seeing how red his face was, the master bade him not be afraid. But how could he help being afraid? The themes were not read directly. It was Mr Tooke's practice to read them out of school-hours.

On this occasion, judgment was given the last thing before school broke up the next morning.

Hugh had never been more astonished in his life. Mr Tooke praised his theme very much, and said it had surprised him. He did not mind the blots and mistakes, which would, he said, have been great faults in a copy-book, but were of less consequence than other things in a theme.

Time and pains would correct slovenliness of that kind; and the thoughts and language were good. Hugh was almost out of his wits with delight; so nearly so that he spoiled his own pleasure completely. He could not keep his happiness to himself, or his vanity: for Hugh had a good deal of vanity,--more than he was aware of before this day. He told several boys what Mr Tooke had said: but he soon found that would not do. Some were indifferent, but most laughed at him. Then he ran to Mrs Watson's parlour, and knocked. n.o.body answered; for the room was empty: so Hugh sought her in various places, and at last found her in the kitchen, boiling some preserves.

"What do you come here for? This is no place for you," said she, when the maids tried in vain to put Hugh out.

"I only want to tell you one thing," cried Hugh; and he repeated exactly what Mr Tooke had said of his theme. Mrs Watson laughed, and the maids laughed, and Hugh left them, angry with them, but more angry with himself. They did not care for him,--n.o.body cared for him, he said to himself; he longed for his mother's look or approbation when he had done well, and Agnes' pleasure, and even Susan's fondness and praise. He sought Dale. Dale was in the midst of a game, and had not a word or look to spare till it was over. The boys would have admitted Hugh; for he could now play as well as anybody; but he was in no mood for play now. He climbed his tree, and sat there, stinging his mind with the thought of his having carried his boastings into the kitchen, and with his recollection of Mrs Watson's laugh.

It often happened that Firth and Hugh met at this tree; and it happened now. There was room for both; and Firth mounted, and read for some time. At last he seemed to be struck by Hugh's restlessness and heavy sighs; and he asked whether he had not got something to amuse himself with.

"No. I don't want to amuse myself," said Hugh, stretching so as almost to throw himself out of the tree.

"Why, what's the matter? Did you not come off well with your theme? I heard somebody say you were quite enough set up about it."

"Where is the use of doing a thing well, if n.o.body cares about it?" said Hugh. "I don't believe anybody at Crofton cares a bit about me--cares whether I get on well or ill--except Dale. If I take pains and succeed, they only laugh at me."

"Ah! You don't understand school and schoolboys yet," replied Firth.

"To do a difficult lesson well is a grand affair at home, and the whole house knows of it. But it is the commonest thing in the world here. If you learn to feel with these boys, instead of expecting them to feel with you (which they cannot possibly do), you will soon find that they care for you accordingly."

Hugh shook his head.

"You will find it in every school in England," continued Firth, "that it is not the way of boys to talk about feelings--about anybody's feelings.

That is the reason why they do not mention their sisters or their mothers--except when two confidential friends are together, in a tree, or by themselves in the meadows. But, as sure as ever a boy is full of action--if he tops the rest at play--holds his tongue, or helps others generously--or shows a manly spirit without being proud of it, the whole school is his friend. You have done well, so far, by growing more and more sociable; but you will lose ground if you boast about your lessons out of school. To prosper at Crofton, you must put off home, and make yourself a Crofton boy."

"I don't care about that," said Hugh. "I give it all up. There is nothing but injustice here."

"Nothing but injustice! Pray, am I unjust?"

"No--not you--not so far. But--"

"Is Mr Tooke unjust?"

"Yes--very."

"Pray how, and when?"

"He has been so unjust to me, that if it had not been for something, I could not have borne it. I am not going to tell you what that something is: only you need not be afraid but that I can bear everything. If the whole world was against me--"

"Well, never mind what that something is; but tell me how Mr Tooke is unjust to you."

"He punished me when I did not deserve it; and he praised me when I did not deserve it. I was cheated and injured that Sat.u.r.day; and, instead of seeing me righted, Mr Tooke ordered me to be punished. And to-day, when my theme was so badly done that I made sure of being blamed, he praised me."

"This might be injustice at home," replied Firth, "because parents know, or ought to know, all that is in their children's minds, and exactly what their children can do. A schoolmaster can judge only by what he sees. Mr Tooke does not know yet that you could have done your theme better than you did--as your mother would have known. When he finds you can do better, he will not praise such a theme again. Meantime, how you can boast of his praise, if you think it unjust, is the wonder to me."

"So it is to me now. I wish I had never asked to do that theme at all,"

cried Hugh, again stretching himself to get rid of his shame. "But why did Mr Tooke order me to be caned? Why did he not make Lamb and Holt pay me what they owe? I was injured before: and he injured me more."

"You were to be caned because you left the heath and entered a house without leave--not because you had been cheated of your money."

"But I did not know where I was going. I never meant to enter a house."

"But you did both; and what you suffered will prevent your letting yourself be led into such a sc.r.a.pe again. As for the money part of the matter--a school is to boys what the world is when they become men.

They must manage their own affairs among themselves. The difference is, that here is the master to be applied to, if we choose. He will advise you about your money, if you choose to ask him: but, for my part, I would rather put up with the loss, if I were you."