theDoctor
under
his
breath
.
"
When
the
time
comes
I
shall
know
how
to
deal
with
you
.
Till
then
you
'll
have
the
goodness
to
hold
your
tongue
,
"
he
said
aloud
.
"
It
's
not
a
very
polite
way
of
putting
it
,
"
Paul
said
to
himself
,
"
but
,
at
any
rate
,
he
sees
how
the
case
stands
now
,
and
after
all
,
perhaps
,
he
only
speaks
like
that
to
put
the
boys
off
the
scent
.
If
so
,
it
's
uncommonly
considerate
and
thoughtful
of
him
,
by
Gad
.
I
wo
n't
say
any
more
.
"
But
by-and-by
,
the
open
window
made
him
break
his
resolution
.
"
I
'm
sorry
to
inconvenience
you
,
Dr.
Grimstone
,
"
he
said
,
with
the
air
of
one
used
to
having
his
way
in
these
matters
,
"
but
I
positively
must
ask
you
either
to
allow
me
to
have
this
window
up
or
to
change
places
with
you
.
The
night
air
,
sir
,
at
this
time
of
the
year
is
fatal
,
my
doctor
tells
me
,
simply
fatal
to
a
man
of
my
constitution
.
"
The
Doctor
pulled
up
the
window
with
a
frown
,
and
yet
a
somewhat
puzzled
expression
.
"
I
warn
you
,
Bultitude
,
"
he
said
,
"
you
are
acting
very
imprudently
.
"
"
So
I
am
,
"
thought
Paul
,
"
so
I
am
.
Good
of
him
to
remind
me
.
I
must
keep
it
up
before
all
these
boys
.
This
unpleasant
business
must
n't
get
about
.
I
'll
hold
my
tongue
till
we
get
in
.
Then
,
I
daresay
,
Grimstone
will
see
me
off
by
the
next
train
up
,
if
there
is
one
,
and
lend
me
enough
for
a
bed
at
an
hotel
for
the
night
.
I
could
n't
get
to
St.
Pancras
till
very
late
,
of
course
.
Or
he
might
offer
to
put
me
up
at
the
school
.
If
he
does
,
I
think
I
shall
very
possibly
accept
.
It
might
be
better
.
"
And
he
leant
back
in
his
seat
in
a
much
easier
frame
of
mind
;
it
was
annoying
,
of
course
,
to
have
been
turned
out
of
his
warm
dining-room
,
and
sent
all
the
way
down
to
Market
Rodwell
on
a
fool
's
errand
like
this
;
but
still
,
if
nothing
worse
came
of
it
,
he
could
put
up
with
the
temporary
inconvenience
,
and
it
was
a
great
relief
to
be
spared
the
necessity
of
an
explanation
.
The
other
boys
watched
him
furtively
with
growing
admiration
,
which
expressed
itself
in
subdued
whispers
,
varied
by
little
gurgles
and
"
squirks
"
of
laughter
;
they
tried
to
catch
his
eye
and
stimulate
him
to
further
feats
of
audacity
,
but
Mr.
Bultitude
,
of
course
,
repulsed
all
such
overtures
with
a
coldness
and
severity
which
at
once
baffled
and
piqued
them
.
At
last
his
eccentricity
took
a
shape
which
considerably
lessened
their
enthusiasm
.
Kiffin
,
the
new
boy
,
occupied
the
seat
next
to
Paul
;
he
was
a
nervous-looking
little
fellow
,
with
a
pale
face
and
big
pathetic
brown
eyes
like
a
seal
's
,
and
his
dress
bore
plain
evidence
of
a
mother
's
careful
supervision
,
having
all
the
uncreased
trimness
and
specklessness
rarely
to
be
observed
except
in
the
toilettes
of
the
waxen
prodigies
in
a
shop-window
.
It
happened
that
,
as
he
lay
back
in
the
padded
seat
between
the
sheltering
partitions
,
watching
the
sickly
yellow
dregs
of
oil
surging
dismally
to
and
fro
with
the
motion
in
the
lamp
overhead
,
or
the
black
indistinct
forms
flitting
past
through
the
misty
blue
outside
,
the
pathos
of
his
situation
became
all
at
once
too
much
for
him
.
He
was
a
home-bred
boy
,
without
any
of
that
taste
for
the
companionship
and
pursuits
of
his
fellows
,
or
capacity
for
adapting
himself
to
their
prejudices
and
requirements
,
which
give
some
home-bred
boys
a
ready
passport
into
the
roughest
communities
.
His
heart
throbbed
with
no
excited
curiosity
,
no
conscious
pride
,
at
this
his
first
important
step
in
life
;
he
was
a
forlorn
little
stranger
,
in
an
unsympathetic
strange
land
,
and
was
only
too
well
aware
of
his
position
.
So
that
it
is
not
surprising
that
as
he
thought
of
the
home
he
had
left
an
hour
or
two
ago
which
now
seemed
so
shadowy
,
so
inaccessible
and
remote
,
his
eyes
began
to
smart
and
sting
,
and
his
chest
to
heave
ominously
,
until
he
felt
it
necessary
to
do
something
to
give
a
partial
vent
to
his
emotions
and
prevent
a
public
and
disgraceful
exhibition
of
grief
.
Unhappily
for
him
he
found
this
safety-valve
in
a
series
of
suppressed
but
distinctly
audible
sniffs
.
Mr.
Bultitude
bore
this
for
some
time
with
no
other
protest
than
an
occasional
indignant
bounce
or
a
lowering
frown
in
the
offender
's
direction
,
but
at
last
his
nerves
,
strung
already
to
a
high
pitch
by
all
he
had
undergone
,
could
stand
it
no
longer
.
"
Dr.
Grimstone
,
"
he
said
with
polite
determination
,
"
I
'm
not
a
man
to
complain
without
good
reason
,
but
really
I
must
ask
you
to
interfere
.
Will
you
tell
this
boy
here
,
on
my
right
,
either
to
control
his
feelings
or
to
cry
into
his
pocket-handkerchief
,
like
an
ordinary
human
being
?
A
good
honest
bellow
I
can
understand
,
but
this
infernal
whiffling
and
sniffing
,
sir
,
I
will
not
put
up
with
.
It
's
nothing
less
than
unnatural
in
a
boy
of
that
size
.
"
"
Kiffin
,
"
said
the
Doctor
,
"
are
you
crying
?
"
"
N
—
no
,
sir
,
"
faltered
Kiffin
;
"
I
—
I
think
I
must
have
caught
cold
,
sir
.
"
"
I
hope
you
are
telling
me
the
truth
,
because
I
should
be
sorry
to
believe
you
were
beginning
your
new
life
in
a
spirit
of
captiousness
and
rebellion
.
I
'll
have
no
mutineers
in
my
camp
.
I
'll
establish
a
spirit
of
trustful
happiness
and
unmurmuring
content
in
this
school
,
if
I
have
to
flog
every
boy
in
it
as
long
as
I
can
stand
over
him
!
As
for
you
,
Richard
Bultitude
,
I
have
no
words
to
express
my
pain
and
disgust
at
the
heartless
irreverence
with
which
you
persist
in
mimicking
and
burlesquing
a
fond
and
excellent
parent
.
Unless
I
perceive
,
sir
,
in
a
very
short
time
a
due
sense
of
your
error
and
a
lively
repentance
,
my
disapproval
will
take
a
very
practical
form
.
"
Mr.
Bultitude
fell
back
into
his
seat
with
a
gasp
.
It
was
hard
to
be
accused
of
caricaturing
one
's
own
self
,
particularly
when
conscious
of
entire
innocence
in
that
respect
,
but
even
this
was
slight
in
comparison
with
the
discovery
that
he
had
been
so
blindly
deceiving
himself
!
The
Doctor
evidently
had
failed
to
penetrate
his
disguise
,
and
the
dreaded
scene
of
elaborate
explanation
must
be
gone
through
after
all
.
The
boys
(
with
the
exception
of
Kiffin
)
still
found
exquisite
enjoyment
in
this
extraordinary
and
original
exhibition
,
and
waited
eagerly
for
further
experiment
on
the
Doctor
's
patience
.
They
were
soon
gratified
.
If
there
was
one
thing
Paul
detested
more
than
another
,
it
was
the
smell
of
peppermint
—
no
less
than
three
office
boys
had
been
discharged
by
him
because
,
as
he
alleged
,
they
made
the
clerks
'
room
reek
with
it
,
—
and
now
the
subtle
searching
odour
of
the
hated
confection
was
gradually
stealing
into
the
compartment
and
influencing
its
atmosphere
.
He
looked
at
Coggs
,
who
sat
on
the
seat
opposite
to
him
,
and
saw
his
cheeks
and
lips
moving
in
slow
and
appreciative
absorption
of
something
.
Coggs
was
clearly
the
culprit
.
"
Do
you
encourage
your
boys
to
make
common
nuisances
of
themselves
in
a
public
place
,
may
I
ask
,
Dr.
Grimstone
?
"
he
inquired
,
fuming
.
"
Some
scarcely
seem
to
require
encouragement
,
Bultitude
,
"
said
the
Doctor
pointedly
:
"
what
is
the
matter
now
?
"
"
If
he
takes
it
medicinally
,
"
said
Paul
,
"
he
should
choose
some
other
time
and
place
to
treat
his
complaint
.
If
he
has
a
depraved
liking
for
the
abominable
stuff
,
for
Heaven
's
sake
make
him
refrain
from
it
on
occasions
when
it
is
a
serious
annoyance
to
others
!
"
"
Will
you
explain
?
Who
and
what
are
you
talking
about
?
"
"
That
boy
opposite
,
"
said
Paul
,
pointing
the
finger
of
denunciation
at
the
astonished
Coggs
;
"
he
's
sucking
an
infernal
peppermint
lozenge
strong
enough
to
throw
the
train
off
the
rails
!
"
"
Is
what
Bultitude
tells
me
true
,
Coggs
?
"
demanded
the
Doctor
in
an
awful
voice
.
Coggs
,
after
making
several
attempts
to
bolt
the
offending
lozenge
,
and
turning
scarlet
meanwhile
with
confusion
and
coughing
,
stammered
huskily
something
to
the
effect
that
he
had
"
bought
the
lozenges
at
a
chemist
's
,
"
which
he
seemed
to
consider
,
for
some
reason
,
a
mitigating
circumstance
.
"
Have
you
any
more
of
this
pernicious
stuff
about
you
?
"
said
the
Doctor
.
Very
slowly
and
reluctantly
Coggs
brought
out
of
one
pocket
after
another
three
or
four
neat
little
white
packets
,
made
up
with
that
lavish
expenditure
of
time
,
string
,
and
sealing-wax
,
by
which
the
struggling
chemist
seeks
to
reconcile
the
public
mind
to
a
charge
of
two
hundred
and
fifty
per
cent
.
on
cost
price
,
and
handed
them
to
Dr.
Grimstone
,
who
solemnly
unfastened
them
one
by
one
,
glanced
at
their
contents
with
infinite
disgust
,
and
flung
them
out
of
window
.
Then
he
turned
to
Paul
with
a
look
of
more
favour
than
he
had
yet
shown
him
.
"
Bultitude
,
"
he
said
,
"
I
am
obliged
to
you
.
A
severe
cold
in
the
head
has
rendered
me
incapable
of
detecting
this
insidious
act
of
insubordination
and
self-indulgence
,
on
which
I
shall
have
more
to
say
on
another
occasion
.
Your
moral
courage
and
promptness
in
denouncing
the
evil
thing
are
much
to
your
credit
.
"
"
Not
at
all
,
"
said
Paul
,
"
not
at
all
,
my
dear
sir
.
I
mentioned
it
because
I
—
ah
—
happen
to
be
peculiarly
sensitive
on
the
subject
and
—
—
"
Here
he
broke
off
with
a
sharp
yell
,
and
began
to
rub
his
ankle
.
"
One
of
these
young
savages
has
just
given
me
a
severe
kick
;
it
's
that
fellow
over
there
,
with
the
blue
necktie
.
I
have
given
him
no
provocation
,
and
he
attacks
me
in
this
brutal
manner
,
sir
;
I
appeal
to
you
for
protection
!
"
"
So
,
Coker
"
(
Coker
wore
a
blue
necktie
)
,
said
the
Doctor
,
"
you
emulate
the
wild
ass
in
more
qualities
than
those
of
stupidity
and
stubbornness
,
do
you
?
You
lash
out
with
your
hind
legs
at
an
inoffensive
school-fellow
,
with
all
the
viciousness
of
a
kangaroo
,
eh
?
Write
out
all
you
find
in
Buffon
's
Natural
History
upon
those
two
animals
a
dozen
times
,
and
bring
it
to
me
by
to-morrow
evening
.
If
I
am
to
stable
wild
asses
,
sir
,
they
shall
be
broken
in
!
"
Six
pairs
of
sulky
glowering
eyes
were
fixed
upon
the
unconscious
Paul
for
the
rest
of
the
journey
;
indignant
protests
and
dark
vows
of
vengeance
were
muttered
under
cover
of
the
friendly
roar
and
rattle
of
tunnels
.
But
the
object
of
them
heard
nothing
;
his
composure
was
returning
once
more
in
the
sunshine
of
Dr.
Grimstone
's
approbation
,
and
he
almost
decided
on
declaring
himself
in
the
station
fly
.
And
now
at
last
the
train
was
grinding
along
discordantly
with
the
brakes
on
,
and
,
after
a
little
preliminary
jolting
and
banging
over
the
points
,
drew
up
at
a
long
lighted
platform
,
where
melancholy
porters
paced
up
and
down
,
croaking
"
Market
Rodwell
!
"
like
so
many
Solomon
Eagles
predicting
woe
.
Paul
got
out
with
the
others
,
and
walked
forward
to
the
guard
's
van
,
where
he
stood
shivering
in
the
raw
night
air
by
a
small
heap
of
portmanteaux
and
white
clamped
boxes
.
"
I
should
like
to
tell
him
all
about
it
now
,
"
he
thought
,
"
if
he
was
n't
so
busy
.
I
'll
get
him
to
go
in
a
cab
alone
with
me
,
and
get
it
over
before
we
reach
the
house
.
"
Dr.
Grimstone
certainly
did
not
seem
in
a
very
receptive
mood
for
confidences
just
then
.
No
flys
were
to
be
seen
,
which
he
took
as
a
personal
outrage
,
and
visited
upon
the
station-master
in
hot
indignation
.
"
It
's
scandalous
,
I
tell
you
,
"
he
was
saying
:
"
scandalous
!
No
cabs
to
meet
the
train
.
My
school
reassembles
to-day
,
and
here
I
find
no
arrangements
made
for
their
accommodation
!
Not
even
an
omnibus
!
I
shall
write
to
the
manager
and
report
this
.
Let
some
one
go
for
a
fly
immediately
.
Boys
,
go
into
the
waiting
room
till
I
come
to
you
.
Stay
—
there
are
too
many
for
one
fly
.
Coker
,
Coggs
,
and
,
let
me
see
,
yes
,
Bultitude
,
you
all
know
your
way
.
Walk
on
and
tell
Mrs.
Grimstone
we
are
coming
.
"
Paul
Bultitude
was
perhaps
more
relieved
than
disappointed
by
this
postponement
of
a
disagreeable
interview
,
though
,
if
he
had
seen
Coker
dig
Coggs
in
the
side
with
a
chuckle
of
exultant
triumph
,
he
might
have
had
misgivings
as
to
the
prudence
of
trusting
himself
alone
with
them
.
As
it
was
he
almost
determined
to
trust
the
pair
with
his
secret
.
"
They
will
be
valuable
witnesses
,
"
he
said
to
himself
,
"
that
,
whoever
else
I
may
be
,
I
am
not
Dick
.
"
So
he
went
on
briskly
ahead
over
a
covered
bridge
and
down
some
break-neck
wooden
steps
,
and
passed
through
the
wicket
out
upon
the
railed-in
space
,
where
the
cabs
and
omnibuses
should
have
been
,
but
which
was
now
a
blank
spectral
waste
with
a
white
ground-fog
lurking
round
its
borders
.
Here
he
was
joined
by
his
companions
,
who
,
after
a
little
whispering
,
came
up
one
on
either
side
and
put
an
arm
through
each
of
his
.
"
Well
,
"
said
Paul
,
thinking
to
banter
them
agreeably
;
"
here
you
are
,
young
men
,
eh
?
Holidays
all
over
now
!
Work
while
you
're
young
,
and
then
—
—
Gad
,
you
're
walking
me
off
my
legs
.
Stop
;
I
'm
not
as
young
as
I
used
to
be
—
—
"
"
Grim
ca
n't
see
us
here
,
can
he
,
Coker
?
"
said
Coggs
when
they
had
cleared
the
gates
and
palings
.
"
Not
he
!
"
said
Coker
.
"
Very
well
,
then
.
Now
then
,
young
Bultitude
,
you
used
to
be
a
decent
fellow
enough
last
term
,
though
you
were
coxy
.
So
,
before
we
go
any
further
—
what
do
you
mean
by
this
sort
of
thing
?
"
"
Because
,
"
put
in
Coker
,
"
if
you
are
n't
quite
right
in
your
head
,
through
your
old
governor
acting
like
a
brute
all
the
holidays
,
as
you
said
he
does
,
just
say
so
,
and
we
wo
n't
be
hard
on
you
.
"
"
I
—
he
—
always
an
excellent
father
,
"
stammered
Paul
.
"
What
am
I
to
explain
?
"
"
Why
,
what
did
you
go
and
sneak
of
him
for
bringing
tuck
back
to
school
for
,
eh
?
"
demanded
Coker
.
"
Yes
,
and
sing
out
when
he
hacked
your
shin
?
"
added
Coggs
;
"
and
tell
Grimstone
that
new
fellow
was
blubbing
?
Where
's
the
joke
in
all
that
,
eh
?
Where
's
the
joke
?
"
"
You
do
n't
suppose
I
was
bound
to
sit
calmly
down
and
allow
you
to
suck
your
villainous
peppermints
under
my
very
nose
,
do
you
?
"
said
Mr.
Bultitude
.
"
Why
should
n't
I
complain
if
a
boy
annoys
me
by
sniffing
,
or
kicks
me
on
the
ankle
?
Just
tell
me
that
?
Suppose
my
neighbour
has
a
noisy
dog
or
a
smoky
chimney
,
am
I
not
to
venture
to
tell
him
of
it
?
Is
he
to
—
—
"
But
his
arguments
,
convincing
as
they
promised
to
be
,
were
brought
to
a
sudden
and
premature
close
by
Coker
,
who
slipped
behind
him
and
administered
a
sharp
jog
below
his
back
,
which
jarred
his
spine
and
caused
him
infinite
agony
.
"
You
little
brute
!
"
cried
Paul
,
"
I
could
have
you
up
for
assault
for
that
!
"
But
upon
this
Coggs
did
the
very
same
thing
only
harder
.
"
Last
term
you
'd
have
shown
fight
for
much
less
,
Bultitude
,
"
they
both
observed
severely
,
as
some
justification
for
repeating
the
process
.
"
Now
,
perhaps
,
you
'll
drop
it
for
the
future
,
"
said
Coker
.
"
Look
here
!
we
'll
give
you
one
more
chance
.
This
sneaking
dodge
is
all
very
well
for
Chawner
.
Chawner
could
do
that
sort
of
thing
without
getting
sat
upon
,
because
he
's
a
big
fellow
;
but
we
're
not
going
to
stand
it
from
you
.
Will
you
promise
on
your
sacred
word
of
honour
,
now
,
to
be
a
decent
sort
of
chap
again
,
as
you
were
last
term
?
"
But
Mr.
Bultitude
,
though
he
longed
for
peace
and
quietness
,
dreaded
doing
or
saying
anything
to
favour
the
impression
that
he
was
the
schoolboy
he
unluckily
appeared
to
be
,
and
he
had
not
skill
and
tact
enough
to
dissemble
and
assume
a
familiar
genial
tone
of
equality
with
these
rough
boys
.
"
You
do
n't
understand
,
"
he
protested
feebly
.
"
If
I
could
only
tell
you
—
—
"
"
We
do
n't
want
any
fine
language
,
you
know
,
"
said
the
relentless
Coggs
.
"
Yes
or
no.
Will
you
promise
to
be
your
old
self
again
?
"
"
I
only
wish
I
could
,
"
said
poor
Mr.
Bultitude
—
"
but
I
ca
n't
!
"
"
Very
well
,
then
,
"
said
Coggs
firmly
,
"
we
must
try
the
torture
.
Coker
,
will
you
screw
the
back
of
his
hand
,
while
I
show
him
how
they
make
barley-sugar
?
"
And
he
gave
Paul
an
interesting
illustration
of
the
latter
branch
of
industry
by
twisting
his
right
arm
round
and
round
till
he
nearly
wrenched
it
out
of
the
socket
,
while
Coker
seized
his
left
hand
and
pounded
it
vigorously
with
the
first
joint
of
his
forefinger
,
causing
the
unfortunate
Paul
to
yell
for
mercy
.
At
last
he
could
bear
no
more
,
and
breaking
away
from
his
tormentors
with
a
violent
effort
,
he
ran
frantically
down
the
silent
road
towards
a
house
which
he
knew
from
former
visits
to
be
Dr.
Grimstone
's
.
He
was
but
languidly
pursued
,
and
,
as
the
distance
was
short
,
he
soon
gained
a
gate
on
the
stuccoed
posts
of
which
he
could
read
"
Crichton
House
"
by
the
light
of
a
neighbouring
gas-lamp
.
"
This
is
a
nice
way
,
"
he
thought
,
as
he
reached
it
breathless
and
trembling
,
"
for
a
father
to
visit
his
son
's
school
!
"
He
had
hoped
to
reach
sanctuary
before
the
other
two
could
overtake
him
;
but
he
soon
discovered
that
the
gate
was
shut
fast
,
and
all
his
efforts
would
not
bring
him
within
reach
of
the
bell-handle
—
he
was
too
short
.
So
he
sat
down
on
the
doorstep
in
resigned
despair
,
and
waited
for
his
enemies
.
Behind
the
gate
was
a
large
many-windowed
house
,
with
steps
leading
up
to
a
portico
.
In
the
playground
to
his
right
the
school
gymnasium
,
a
great
gallows-like
erection
,
loomed
black
and
grim
through
the
mist
,
the
night
wind
favouring
the
ghastliness
of
its
appearance
by
swaying
the
ropes
till
they
creaked
and
moaned
weirdly
on
the
hooks
,
and
the
metal
stirrups
clinked
and
clashed
against
one
another
in
irregular
cadence
.
He
had
no
time
to
observe
more
,
as
Coker
and
Coggs
joined
him
,
and
,
on
finding
he
had
not
rung
the
bell
,
seized
the
occasion
to
pummel
him
at
their
leisure
before
announcing
their
arrival
.
Then
the
gate
was
opened
,
and
the
three
—
the
revengeful
pair
assuming
an
air
of
lamb-like
inoffensiveness
—
entered
the
hall
and
were
met
by
Mrs.
Grimstone
.
"
Why
,
here
you
are
!
"
she
said
,
with
an
air
of
surprise
,
and
kissing
them
with
real
kindness
.
"
How
cold
you
look
!
So
you
actually
had
to
walk
.
No
cabs
as
usual
.
You
poor
boys
!
come
in
and
warm
yourselves
.
You
'll
find
all
your
old
friends
in
the
schoolroom
.
"
Mr.
Bultitude
submitted
to
be
kissed
with
some
reluctance
,
inwardly
hoping
that
Dr.
Grimstone
might
never
hear
of
it
.
Mrs.
Grimstone
,
it
may
be
said
here
,
was
a
stout
,
fair
woman
,
not
in
the
least
intellectual
or
imposing
,
but
with
a
warm
heart
,
and
a
way
of
talking
to
and
about
boys
that
secured
her
the
confidence
of
mothers
more
effectually
,
perhaps
,
than
the
most
polished
conversation
and
irreproachable
deportment
could
have
done
.
She
did
not
reserve
her
motherliness
for
the
reception
room
either
,
as
some
schoolmasters
'
wives
have
a
tendency
to
do
,
and
the
smallest
boy
felt
less
homesick
when
he
saw
her
.
She
opened
a
green
baize
outer
door
,
and
the
door
beyond
it
,
and
led
them
into
a
long
high
room
,
with
desks
and
forms
placed
against
the
walls
,
and
a
writing
table
,
and
line
of
brown-stained
tables
down
the
middle
.
Opposite
the
windows
there
was
a
curious
structure
of
shelves
partitioned
into
lockers
,
and
filled
with
rows
of
shabby
schoolbooks
.
The
room
had
been
originally
intended
for
a
drawing-room
,
as
was
evident
from
the
inevitable
white
and
gold
wall-paper
and
the
tarnished
gilt
beading
round
the
doors
and
window
shutters
;
the
mantelpiece
,
too
,
was
of
white
marble
,
and
the
gaselier
fitted
with
dingy
crystal
lustres
.
But
sad-coloured
maps
hung
on
the
ink-splashed
walls
,
and
a
clock
with
a
blank
idiotic
face
(
it
is
not
every
clock
that
possesses
a
decently
intelligent
expression
)
ticked
over
the
gilt
pier-glass
.
The
boards
were
uncarpeted
,
and
stained
with
patches
of
ink
of
all
sizes
and
ages
;
while
the
atmosphere
,
in
spite
of
the
blazing
fire
,
had
a
scholastic
blending
of
soap
and
water
,
ink
and
slate-pencil
in
its
composition
,
which
produced
a
chill
and
depressing
effect
.
On
the
forms
opposite
the
fire
some
ten
or
twelve
boys
were
sitting
,
a
few
comparing
notes
as
to
their
holiday
experiences
with
some
approach
to
vivacity
.
The
rest
,
with
hands
in
pockets
and
feet
stretched
towards
the
blaze
,
seemed
lost
in
melancholy
abstraction
.
"
There
!
"
said
Mrs.
Grimstone
cheerfully
,
"
you
'll
have
plenty
to
talk
to
one
another
about
.
I
'll
send
Tom
in
to
see
you
presently
!
"
And
she
left
them
with
a
reassuring
nod
,
though
the
prospect
of
Tom
's
company
did
not
perhaps
elate
them
as
much
as
it
was
intended
to
do
.
Mr.
Bultitude
felt
much
as
if
he
had
suddenly
been
dropped
down
a
bear-pit
,
and
,
avoiding
welcome
and
observation
as
well
as
he
could
,
got
away
into
a
corner
,
from
which
he
observed
his
new
companions
with
uneasy
apprehension
.
"
I
say
,
"
said
one
boy
,
resuming
the
interrupted
conversation
,
"
did
you
go
to
Drury
Lane
?
Was
n't
it
stunning
!
That
goose
,
you
know
,
and
the
lion
in
the
forest
,
and
all
the
wooden
animals
lumbering
in
out
of
the
toy
Noah
's
Ark
!
"
"
Why
could
n't
you
come
to
our
party
on
Twelfth-night
?
"
asked
another
.
"
We
had
great
larks
.
I
wish
you
'd
been
there
!
"
"
I
had
to
go
to
young
Skidmore
's
instead
,
"
said
a
pale
,
spiteful-looking
boy
,
with
fair
hair
carefully
parted
in
the
middle
.
"
It
was
like
his
cheek
to
ask
me
,
but
I
thought
I
'd
go
,
you
know
,
just
to
see
what
it
was
like
.
"
"
What
was
it
like
?
"
asked
one
or
two
near
him
languidly
.
"
Oh
,
awfully
slow
!
They
've
a
poky
little
house
in
Brompton
somewhere
,
and
there
was
no
dancing
,
only
boshy
games
and
a
conjurer
,
without
any
presents
.
And
,
oh
!
I
say
,
at
supper
there
was
a
big
cake
on
the
table
,
and
no
one
was
allowed
to
cut
it
,
because
it
was
hired
.
They
're
so
poor
,
you
know
.
Skidmore
's
pater
is
only
a
clerk
,
and
you
should
see
his
sisters
!
"
"
Why
,
are
they
pretty
?
"
"
Pretty
!
they
're
just
like
young
Skidmore
—
only
uglier
;
and
just
fancy
,
his
mother
asked
me
'
if
I
was
Skidmore
's
favourite
companion
,
and
if
he
helped
me
in
my
studies
?
'
"
The
unfortunate
Skidmore
,
when
he
returned
,
soon
found
reason
to
regret
his
rash
hospitality
,
for
he
never
heard
the
last
of
the
cake
(
which
had
,
as
it
happened
,
been
paid
for
in
the
usual
manner
)
during
the
rest
of
the
term
.
There
was
a
slight
laugh
at
the
enormity
of
Mrs.
Skidmore
's
presumption
,
and
then
a
long
pause
,
after
which
some
one
asked
suddenly
,
"
Does
any
one
know
whether
Chawner
really
has
left
this
time
?
"
"
I
hope
so
,
"
said
a
big
,
heavy
boy
,
and
his
hope
seemed
echoed
with
a
general
fervour
.
"
He
's
been
going
to
leave
every
term
for
the
last
year
,
but
I
believe
he
really
has
done
it
this
time
.
He
wrote
and
told
me
he
was
n't
coming
back
.
"
"
Thank
goodness
!
"
said
several
,
with
an
evident
relief
,
and
some
one
was
just
observing
that
they
had
had
enough
of
the
sneaking
business
,
when
a
fly
was
heard
to
drive
up
,
and
the
bell
rang
,
whereupon
everyone
abandoned
his
easy
attitude
,
and
seemed
to
brace
himself
up
for
a
trying
encounter
.
"
Look
out
—
here
's
Grimstone
!
"
they
whispered
under
their
breaths
,
as
voices
and
footsteps
were
heard
in
the
hall
outside
.
Presently
the
door
of
the
schoolroom
opened
,
and
another
boy
entered
the
room
.
Dr.
Grimstone
,
it
appeared
,
had
not
been
the
occupant
of
the
fly
,
after
all
.
The
new-comer
was
a
tall
,
narrow-shouldered
,
stooping
fellow
,
with
a
sallow
,
unwholesome
complexion
,
thin
lips
,
and
small
sunken
brown
eyes
.
His
cheeks
were
creased
with
a
dimpling
subsmile
,
half
uneasy
,
half
malicious
,
and
his
tread
was
mincing
and
catlike
.
"
Well
,
you
fellows
?
"
he
said
.
All
rose
at
once
,
and
shook
hands
effusively
.
"
Why
,
Chawner
!
"
they
cried
,
"
how
are
you
,
old
fellow
?
We
thought
you
were
n't
coming
back
!
"
There
was
a
heartiness
in
their
manner
somewhat
at
variance
with
their
recent
expressions
of
opinion
;
but
they
had
doubtless
excellent
reasons
for
any
inconsistency
.
"
Well
,
"
said
Chawner
,
in
a
low
,
soft
voice
,
which
had
a
suggestion
of
feminine
spitefulness
,
"
I
was
going
to
leave
,
but
I
thought
you
'd
be
getting
into
mischief
here
without
me
to
watch
over
you
.
Appleton
,
and
Lench
,
and
Coker
want
looking
after
badly
,
I
know
.
So
,
you
see
,
I
've
come
back
after
all
.
"
He
laughed
with
a
little
malevolent
cackle
as
he
spoke
,
and
the
three
boys
named
laughed
too
,
though
with
no
great
heartiness
,
and
shifting
the
while
uneasily
on
their
seats
.
After
this
sally
the
conversation
languished
until
Tom
Grimstone
's
appearance
.
He
strolled
in
with
a
semi-professional
air
,
and
shook
hands
with
affability
.
Tom
was
a
short
,
flabby
,
sandy-haired
youth
,
not
particularly
beloved
of
his
comrades
,
and
his
first
remark
was
,
"
I
say
,
you
chaps
,
have
you
done
your
holiday
task
?
Pa
says
he
shall
keep
everyone
in
who
has
n't
.
I
've
done
mine
;
"
which
,
as
a
contribution
to
the
general
liveliness
,
was
a
distinct
failure
.
Needless
to
say
,
the
work
imposed
as
a
holiday
occupation
had
been
first
deferred
,
then
forgotten
,
then
remembered
too
late
,
and
recklessly
defied
with
the
confidence
begotten
in
a
home
atmosphere
.
Amidst
a
general
silence
Chawner
happened
to
see
Mr.
Bultitude
in
his
corner
,
and
crossed
over
to
him
.
"
Why
,
there
's
Dicky
Bultitude
there
all
the
time
,
and
he
never
came
to
shake
hands
!
Are
n't
you
going
to
speak
to
me
?
"
Paul
growled
something
indistinctly
,
feeling
strangely
uncomfortable
and
confused
.
"
What
's
the
matter
with
him
?
"
asked
Chawner
.
"
Does
anyone
know
?
Has
he
lost
his
tongue
?
"
"
He
had
n't
lost
it
coming
down
in
the
train
,
"
said
Coker
:
"
I
wish
he
had
.
I
tell
you
what
,
you
fellows
—
He
—
here
's
Grim
at
last
!
I
'll
tell
you
all
about
it
up
in
the
bedroom
.
"
And
Dr.
Grimstone
really
did
arrive
at
this
point
,
much
to
Paul
's
relief
,
and
looked
in
to
give
a
grip
of
the
hand
and
a
few
words
to
those
of
the
boys
he
had
not
seen
.
Biddlecomb
,
Tipping
,
and
the
rest
,
came
in
with
him
,
and
the
schoolroom
soon
filled
with
others
arriving
by
later
trains
,
amongst
the
later
comers
being
the
two
house-masters
,
Mr.
Blinkhorn
and
Mr.
Tinkler
;
and
there
followed
a
season
of
bustle
and
conversation
,
which
lasted
until
the
Doctor
touched
a
small
hand-bell
,
and
ordered
them
to
sit
down
round
the
tables
while
supper
was
brought
in
.
Mr.
Bultitude
was
not
sorry
to
hear
the
word
"
supper
.
"
He
was
faint
and
dispirited
,
and
although
he
had
dined
not
very
long
since
,
thought
that
perhaps
a
little
cold
beef
and
beer
,
or
some
warmed-up
trifle
,
might
give
him
courage
to
tell
his
misfortunes
before
bedtime
.
Of
one
thing
he
felt
certain
.
Nothing
should
induce
him
to
trust
his
person
in
a
bedroom
with
any
of
those
violent
and
vindictive
boys
;
whether
he
succeeded
in
declaring
himself
that
night
or
not
,
he
would
at
least
insist
on
a
separate
bedroom
.
Meantime
he
looked
forward
to
supper
as
likely
to
restore
geniality
and
confidence
.
But
the
supper
announced
so
imposingly
proved
to
consist
of
nothing
more
than
two
plates
piled
with
small
pieces
of
thinly-buttered
bread
,
which
a
page
handed
round
together
with
tumblers
of
water
;
and
Paul
,
in
his
disappointment
,
refused
this
refreshment
with
more
firmness
than
politeness
,
as
Dr.
Grimstone
observed
.
"
You
got
into
trouble
last
term
,
Bultitude
,
"
he
said
sternly
,
"
on
account
of
this
same
fastidious
daintiness
.
Your
excellent
father
has
informed
me
of
your
waste
and
gluttony
at
his
own
bountifully
spread
table
.
Do
n't
let
me
have
occasion
to
reprove
you
for
this
again
.
"
Mr.
Bultitude
,
feeling
the
necessity
of
propitiating
him
,
hastened
to
take
the
two
largest
squares
of
bread
and
butter
on
the
plate
.
They
were
moist
and
thick
,
and
he
had
considerable
difficulty
in
disposing
of
them
,
besides
the
gratification
of
hearing
himself
described
as
a
"
pig
"
by
his
neighbours
,
who
reproved
him
with
a
refreshing
candour
.
"
I
must
get
away
from
here
,
"
he
thought
,
ruefully
.
"
Dick
seems
very
unpopular
.
I
wish
I
did
n't
feel
so
low-spirited
and
unwell
.
Why
ca
n't
I
carry
it
off
easily
as
—
as
a
kind
of
joke
?
How
hard
these
forms
are
,
and
how
those
infernal
boys
did
jog
my
back
!
"
Bedtime
came
at
length
.
The
boys
filed
,
one
by
one
,
out
of
the
room
,
and
the
Doctor
stood
by
the
door
to
shake
hands
with
them
as
they
passed
.
Mr.
Bultitude
lingered
until
the
others
had
gone
,
for
he
had
made
up
his
mind
to
seize
this
opportunity
to
open
the
Doctor
's
eyes
to
the
mistake
he
was
making
.
But
he
felt
unaccountably
nervous
;
the
diplomatic
and
well-chosen
introduction
he
had
carefully
prepared
had
left
him
at
the
critical
moment
;
all
power
of
thought
was
gone
with
it
,
and
he
went
tremblingly
up
to
the
schoolmaster
,
feeling
hopelessly
at
the
mercy
of
anything
that
chose
to
come
out
of
his
mouth
.
"
Dr.
Grimstone
,
"
he
began
;
"
before
retiring
I
—
I
must
insist
—
I
mean
I
must
request
—
—
What
I
wish
to
say
is
—
—
"
"
I
see
,
"
said
the
Doctor
,
catching
him
up
sharply
.
"
You
wish
to
apologise
for
your
extraordinary
behaviour
in
the
railway
carriage
?
Well
,
though
you
made
some
amends
afterwards
,
an
apology
is
very
right
and
proper
.
Say
no
more
about
it
.
"
"
It
's
not
that
,
"
said
Paul
hopelessly
;
"
I
wanted
to
explain
—
—
"
"
Your
conduct
with
regard
to
the
bread
and
butter
?
If
it
was
simply
want
of
appetite
,
of
course
there
is
no
more
to
be
said
.
But
I
have
an
abhorrence
of
—
—
"
"
Quite
right
,
"
said
Paul
,
recovering
himself
;
"
I
hate
waste
myself
,
but
there
is
something
I
must
tell
you
before
—
—
"
"
If
it
concerns
that
disgraceful
conduct
of
Coker
's
,
"
said
the
Doctor
,
"
you
may
speak
on
.
I
shall
have
to
consider
his
case
to-morrow
.
Has
any
similar
case
of
disobedience
come
to
your
knowledge
?
If
so
,
I
expect
you
to
disclose
it
to
me
.
You
have
found
some
other
boy
with
sweetmeats
in
his
possession
?
"
"
Good
Heavens
,
sir
!
"
said
Mr.
Bultitude
,
losing
his
temper
;
"
I
have
n't
been
searching
the
whole
school
for
sweetmeats
!
I
have
other
things
to
occupy
my
mind
,
sir
.
And
,
once
for
all
,
I
demand
to
be
heard
!
Dr.
Grimstone
,
there
are
,
ahem
,
domestic
secrets
that
can
only
be
alluded
to
in
the
strictest
privacy
.
I
see
that
one
of
your
assistants
is
writing
at
his
table
there
.
Cannot
we
go
where
there
will
be
less
risk
of
interruption
?
You
have
a
study
,
I
suppose
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
,
"
said
the
Doctor
with
terrible
grimness
,
"
I
have
a
study
—
and
I
have
a
cane
.
I
can
convince
you
of
both
facts
,
if
you
wish
it
.
If
you
insult
me
again
by
this
brazen
buffoonery
,
I
will
!
Be
off
to
your
dormitory
,
sir
,
before
you
provoke
me
to
punish
you
.
Not
another
word
!
Go
!
"
And
,
incredible
as
it
may
appear
to
all
who
have
never
been
in
his
position
,
Mr.
Bultitude
went
.
It
was
almost
an
abdication
,
it
was
treachery
to
his
true
self
;
he
knew
the
vital
importance
of
firmness
at
this
crisis
.
But
nevertheless
his
courage
gave
way
all
at
once
,
and
he
crawled
up
the
bare
,
uncarpeted
stairs
without
any
further
protest
!
"
Good
night
,
Master
Bultitude
,
"
said
a
housemaid
,
meeting
him
on
the
staircase
:
"
you
know
your
bedroom
.
No.
6
,
with
Master
Coker
,
and
Master
Biddlecomb
,
and
the
others
.
"
Paul
dragged
himself
up
to
the
highest
landing-stage
,
and
,
with
a
sick
foreboding
,
opened
the
door
on
which
the
figure
6
was
painted
.
It
was
a
large
bare
plainly
papered
room
,
with
several
curtainless
windows
,
the
blinds
of
which
were
drawn
,
a
long
deal
stand
of
wash-hand
basins
,
and
eight
little
white
beds
against
the
walls
.
A
fire
was
lighted
in
consideration
of
its
being
the
first
night
,
and
several
boys
were
talking
excitedly
round
it
.
"
Here
he
is
!
He
's
stayed
behind
to
tell
more
tales
!
"
they
cried
,
as
Paul
entered
nervously
.
"
Now
then
,
Bultitude
,
what
have
you
got
to
say
for
yourself
?
"
Mr.
Bultitude
felt
powerless
among
all
these
young
wolves
.
He
had
no
knowledge
of
boys
,
nor
any
notion
of
acquiring
an
influence
over
them
,
having
hitherto
regarded
them
as
necessary
nuisances
,
to
be
rather
repressed
than
studied
.
He
could
only
stare
hopelessly
at
them
in
fascinated
silence
.
"
You
see
he
has
n't
a
word
to
say
for
himself
!
"
said
Tipping
.
"
Look
here
,
what
shall
we
do
to
him
?
Shall
we
try
tossing
in
a
blanket
?
I
've
never
tried
tossing
a
fellow
in
one
myself
,
but
as
long
as
you
do
n't
jerk
him
too
high
,
or
out
on
the
floor
,
you
ca
n't
hurt
him
dangerously
.
"
"
No
,
I
say
,
do
n't
toss
him
in
a
blanket
,
"
pleaded
Biddlecomb
,
and
Paul
felt
gratefully
towards
him
at
the
words
;
"
anyone
coming
up
would
see
what
was
going
on
.
I
vote
we
flick
at
him
with
towels
.
"
"
Now
just
you
understand
this
clearly
,
"
said
Paul
,
thinking
,
not
without
reason
,
that
this
course
of
treatment
was
likely
to
prove
painful
;
"
I
refuse
to
allow
myself
to
be
flicked
at
with
towels
.
No
one
has
ever
offered
me
such
an
indignity
in
my
life
!
Oh
,
do
you
think
I
've
not
enough
on
my
mind
as
it
is
without
the
barbarities
of
a
set
of
young
brutes
like
you
!
"
As
this
appeal
was
not
of
a
very
conciliatory
nature
they
at
once
proceeded
to
form
a
circle
round
him
and
,
judging
their
distance
with
great
accuracy
,
jerked
towels
at
his
person
with
such
diabolical
dexterity
that
the
wet
corners
cut
him
at
all
points
like
so
many
fine
thongs
,
and
he
span
round
like
a
top
,
dancing
,
and
,
I
regret
to
add
,
swearing
violently
,
at
the
pain
.
When
he
was
worked
up
almost
to
frenzy
pitch
Biddlecomb
's
sweet
low
voice
cried
,
"
Cave
,
you
fellows
!
I
hear
Grim
.
Let
him
undress
now
,
and
we
can
lam
it
into
him
afterwards
with
slippers
!
"
At
this
they
all
cast
off
such
of
their
clothes
as
they
still
wore
,
and
slipped
modestly
and
peacefully
into
bed
,
just
as
Dr.
Grimstone
's
large
form
appeared
at
the
doorway
.
Mr.
Bultitude
made
as
much
haste
as
he
could
,
but
did
not
escape
a
reprimand
from
the
Doctor
as
he
turned
the
gas
out
;
and
as
soon
as
he
had
made
the
round
of
the
bedrooms
and
his
heavy
tread
had
died
away
down
the
staircase
,
the
light-hearted
occupants
of
No.
6
"
lammed
"
it
into
the
unhappy
Paul
until
they
were
tired
of
the
exercise
and
left
him
to
creep
sore
and
trembling
with
rage
and
fright
into
his
cold
hard
bed
.
Then
,
after
a
little
desultory
conversation
,
one
by
one
sank
from
incoherence
into
silence
,
and
rose
from
silence
to
snores
,
while
Paul
alone
lay
sleepless
,
listening
to
the
creeping
tinkle
of
the
dying
fire
,
drearily
wondering
at
the
marvellous
change
that
had
come
over
his
life
and
fortunes
in
the
last
few
hours
,
and
feverishly
composing
impassioned
appeals
which
were
to
touch
the
Doctor
's
heart
and
convince
his
reason
.
5.
Disgrace
"
Well
had
the
boding
tremblers
learned
to
trace
The
day
's
disasters
in
his
morning
's
face
.
"
Sleep
came
at
last
,
and
brought
too
brief
forgetfulness
.
It
was
not
till
the
dull
grey
light
of
morning
was
glimmering
through
the
blinds
that
Mr.
Bultitude
awoke
to
his
troubles
.
The
room
was
bitterly
cold
,
and
he
remained
shivering
in
bed
for
some
time
,
trying
to
realise
and
prepare
for
his
altered
condition
.
He
was
the
only
one
awake
.
Now
and
then
from
one
of
the
beds
around
a
boy
would
be
heard
talking
in
his
sleep
,
or
laughing
with
holiday
glee
—
at
the
drolleries
possibly
of
some
pantomime
performed
for
his
amusement
in
the
Theatre
Royal
,
Dreamland
—
a
theatre
mercifully
open
to
all
boys
free
of
charge
,
long
after
the
holidays
have
come
to
an
end
,
the
only
drawbacks
being
a
certain
want
of
definiteness
in
the
plot
and
scenery
,
and
a
liability
to
premature
termination
of
the
vaguely
splendid
performance
.
Once
Kiffin
,
the
new
boy
,
awoke
with
a
start
and
a
heavy
sigh
,
but
he
cried
himself
to
sleep
again
almost
immediately
.
Mr.
Bultitude
could
bear
being
inactive
no
longer
.
He
thought
,
if
he
got
up
,
he
might
perhaps
see
his
misfortunes
shrink
to
a
more
bearable
,
less
hopeless
scale
,
and
besides
,
he
judged
it
prudent
,
for
many
reasons
,
to
finish
his
toilet
before
the
sleepers
began
theirs
.
Very
stealthily
,
dreading
to
rouse
anyone
and
attract
attention
in
the
form
of
slippers
,
he
broke
the
clinking
crust
of
ice
in
one
of
the
basins
and
,
shuddering
from
the
shock
,
bathed
face
and
hands
in
the
biting
water
.
He
parted
his
hair
,
which
from
natural
causes
he
had
been
unable
to
accomplish
for
some
years
,
and
now
found
an
awkwardness
in
accomplishing
neatly
,
and
then
stole
down
the
dark
creaking
staircase
just
as
the
butler
in
the
hall
began
to
swing
the
big
railway
bell
which
was
to
din
stern
reality
into
the
sleepy
ears
above
.
In
the
schoolroom
a
yawning
maid
had
just
lighted
the
fire
,
from
which
turbid
yellow
clouds
of
sulphurous
smoke
were
pouring
into
the
room
,
making
it
necessary
to
open
the
windows
and
lower
a
temperature
that
was
far
from
high
originally
.
Paul
stood
shaking
by
the
mantelpiece
in
a
very
bad
temper
for
some
minutes
.
If
the
Doctor
had
come
in
then
,
he
might
have
been
spurred
by
indignation
to
utter
his
woes
,
and
even
claim
and
obtain
his
freedom
.
But
that
was
not
to
be
.
The
door
did
open
presently
,
however
,
and
a
little
girl
appeared
;
a
very
charming
little
maiden
indeed
,
in
a
neat
dark
costume
relieved
by
a
fresh
white
pinafore
.
She
had
deep
grey
eyes
and
glossy
brown
hair
falling
over
her
forehead
and
down
her
back
in
soft
straight
masses
,
her
face
was
oval
rather
than
round
,
and
slightly
serious
,
though
her
smile
was
pretty
and
gay
.
She
ran
towards
Mr.
Bultitude
with
a
glad
little
cry
,
stretching
out
her
hands
.
"
Dick
!
dear
Dick
!
"
she
said
,
"
I
am
so
glad
!
I
thought
you
'd
be
down
early
;
as
you
used
to
be
.
I
wanted
to
sit
up
last
night
so
very
much
,
but
mamma
would
n't
let
me
.
"
Some
might
have
been
very
glad
to
be
welcomed
in
this
way
,
even
vicariously
.
As
for
boys
,
it
must
have
been
a
very
bad
school
indeed
which
Dulcie
Grimstone
could
not
have
robbed
of
much
of
its
terrors
.
Mr.
Bultitude
,
however
,
as
has
been
explained
,
did
not
appreciate
children
—
being
a
family
man
himself
.
When
one
sees
their
petty
squabbles
and
jealousies
,
hears
their
cruel
din
,
and
pays
for
their
monkeyish
mischief
,
perhaps
the
daintiest
children
seem
but
an
earthly
order
of
cherubim
.
He
was
only
annoyed
and
embarrassed
by
the
interruption
,
though
he
endured
it
.
"
Ah
,
"
he
said
with
condescension
,
"
and
so
you
're
Dr.
Grimstone
's
little
girl
,
are
you
?
How
d'ye
do
,
my
dear
?
"
Dulcie
stopped
and
looked
at
him
,
with
drawn
eyebrows
and
her
soft
mouth
quivering
.
"
What
makes
you
talk
like
that
?
"
she
asked
.
"
How
ought
I
to
talk
?
"
said
Paul
.
"
You
did
n't
talk
like
that
before
,
"
said
Dulcie
plaintively
.
"
I
—
I
thought
perhaps
you
'd
be
glad
to
see
me
.
You
were
once
.
And
—
and
—
when
you
went
away
last
you
asked
me
to
—
to
—
kiss
you
,
and
I
did
,
and
I
wish
I
had
n't
.
And
you
gave
me
a
ginger
lozenge
with
your
name
written
on
it
in
lead
pencil
,
and
I
gave
you
a
cough-lozenge
with
mine
;
and
you
said
it
was
to
show
that
you
were
my
sweetheart
and
I
was
yours
.
But
I
suppose
you
've
eaten
the
one
I
gave
you
?
"
"
This
is
dreadful
!
"
thought
Mr.
Bultitude
.
"
What
shall
I
do
now
?
The
child
evidently
takes
me
for
that
little
scoundrel
Dick
.
"
"
Tut-tut
,
"
he
said
aloud
,
"
little
girls
like
you
are
too
young
for
such
nonsense
.
You
ought
to
think
about
—
about
your
dolls
,
and
—
ah
,
your
needlework
—
not
sweethearts
!
"
"
You
say
that
now
!
"
cried
Dulcie
indignantly
.
"
You
know
I
'm
not
a
little
girl
,
and
I
've
left
off
playing
with
dolls
—
almost
.
Oh
,
Dick
,
do
n't
be
unkind
!
You
have
n't
changed
your
mind
,
have
you
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Paul
dismally
,
"
I
've
changed
my
body
.
But
there
—
you
would
n't
understand
.
Run
away
and
play
somewhere
,
like
a
good
little
girl
!
"
"
I
know
what
it
is
!
"
said
Dulcie
.
"
You
've
been
out
to
parties
,
or
somewhere
,
and
seen
some
horrid
girl
...
you
like
...
better
than
me
!
"
"
This
is
absurd
,
you
know
,
"
said
Mr.
Bultitude
.
"
You
ca
n't
think
how
absurd
it
is
!
Now
,
you
'll
be
a
very
foolish
little
girl
if
you
cry
.
You
're
making
a
mistake
.
I
'm
not
the
Dick
you
used
to
know
!
"
"
I
know
you
're
not
!
"
sobbed
Dulcie
.
"
But
oh
,
Dick
,
you
will
be
.
Promise
me
you
will
be
!
"
And
,
to
Paul
's
horror
and
alarm
,
she
put
her
arms
round
his
neck
,
and
cried
piteously
on
his
shoulder
.
"
Good
gracious
!
"
he
cried
,
"
let
me
go
.
Do
n't
do
that
,
for
Heaven
's
sake
!
I
can
hear
some
one
coming
.
If
it
's
your
father
,
it
will
ruin
me
!
"
But
it
was
too
late
.
Over
her
head
he
saw
Tipping
enter
the
room
,
and
stand
glaring
at
them
menacingly
.
Dulcie
saw
him
too
,
and
sprang
away
to
the
window
,
where
she
tried
to
dry
her
eyes
unperceived
,
and
then
ran
past
him
with
a
hurried
good
morning
,
and
escaped
,
leaving
Paul
alone
with
the
formidable
Tipping
.
There
was
an
awkward
silence
at
first
,
which
Tipping
broke
by
saying
,
"
What
have
you
been
saying
to
make
her
cry
,
eh
?
"
"
What
's
that
to
you
,
sir
?
"
said
Paul
,
trying
to
keep
his
voice
firm
.
"
Why
,
it
's
just
this
to
me
,
"
said
Tipping
,
"
that
I
've
been
spoons
on
Dulcie
myself
ever
since
I
came
,
and
she
never
would
have
a
word
to
say
to
me
.
I
never
could
think
why
,
and
now
it
turns
out
to
be
you
!
What
do
you
mean
by
cutting
me
out
like
this
?
I
heard
her
call
you
'
dear
Dick
.
'
"
"
Do
n't
be
an
ass
,
sir
!
"
said
Paul
angrily
.
"
Now
,
none
of
your
cheek
,
you
know
!
"
said
Tipping
,
edging
up
against
him
with
a
dangerous
inclination
first
to
jostle
aggressively
,
and
then
maul
his
unconscious
rival
.
"
You
just
mind
what
I
say
.
I
'm
not
going
to
have
Dulcie
bothered
by
a
young
beggar
in
the
second
form
;
she
deserves
something
better
than
that
,
anyway
,
and
I
tell
you
that
if
I
once
catch
you
talking
to
her
in
the
way
you
did
just
now
,
or
if
I
hear
of
her
favouring
you
more
than
any
other
fellows
,
I
'll
give
you
the
very
juiciest
licking
you
ever
had
in
your
life
.
So
look
out
!
"
At
this
point
the
other
boys
began
to
straggle
down
and
cluster
round
the
fire
,
and
Paul
withdrew
from
the
aggrieved
Tipping
,
and
looked
drearily
out
of
the
window
on
the
hard
road
and
bare
black
trees
outside
.
"
I
must
tell
the
Doctor
how
I
'm
situated
!
"
he
thought
;
"
and
yet
directly
I
open
my
mouth
,
he
threatens
to
flog
me
.
If
I
stay
here
,
that
little
girl
will
be
always
trying
to
speak
to
me
,
and
I
shall
be
thrashed
by
the
red-haired
boy
.
If
I
could
only
manage
to
speak
out
after
breakfast
!
"
It
was
not
without
satisfaction
that
he
remembered
that
he
paid
extra
for
"
meat
for
breakfast
"
in
his
son
's
school-bills
,
for
he
was
beginning
to
look
forward
to
meal-time
with
the
natural
desire
of
a
young
and
healthy
frame
for
nourishment
.
At
eight
o'clock
the
Doctor
came
in
and
announced
breakfast
,
leading
the
way
himself
to
what
was
known
in
the
school
as
the
"
Dining
Hall
.
"
It
scarcely
deserved
so
high-sounding
a
name
perhaps
,
being
a
long
low
room
on
the
basement
floor
,
with
a
big
fireplace
,
fitted
with
taps
,
and
baking
ovens
,
which
provoked
the
suspicion
that
it
had
begun
existence
as
a
back
kitchen
.
The
Doctor
took
his
seat
alone
at
a
cross
table
forming
the
top
of
one
of
the
two
rows
of
tables
,
set
with
white
cups
and
saucers
,
and
plates
well
heaped
with
the
square
pieces
of
bread
and
butter
,
while
Mrs.
Grimstone
with
Dulcie
and
Tom
,
sat
at
the
foot
of
the
same
row
,
behind
two
ugly
urns
of
dull
block-tin
.
But
when
Mr.
Bultitude
,
more
hungry
than
he
had
felt
for
years
,
found
his
place
at
one
of
the
tables
,
he
was
disgusted
to
find
upon
his
plate
—
not
,
as
he
had
confidently
expected
,
a
couple
of
plump
poached
eggs
,
with
their
appetising
contrast
of
ruddy
gold
and
silvery
white
,
not
a
crisp
and
crackling
sausage
or
a
mottled
omelette
,
not
even
the
homely
but
luscious
rasher
,
but
a
brace
of
chill
forbidding
sardines
,
lying
grim
and
headless
in
bilious
green
oil
!
It
was
a
fish
he
positively
loathed
,
nor
could
it
be
reasonably
expected
that
the
confidence
necessary
for
a
declaration
was
to
be
forgotten
by
so
sepulchral
a
form
of
nutriment
.
He
roused
himself
,
however
,
to
swallow
them
,
together
with
some
of
the
thin
and
tin-flavoured
coffee
.
But
the
meal
as
a
whole
was
so
different
from
the
plentiful
well-cooked
breakfasts
he
had
sat
down
before
for
years
as
a
matter
of
course
,
that
it
made
him
feel
extremely
unwell
.
No
talking
was
allowed
during
the
meal
.
The
Doctor
now
and
then
looked
up
from
his
dish
of
kidneys
on
toast
(
at
which
envious
glances
were
occasionally
cast
)
to
address
a
casual
remark
to
his
wife
across
the
long
row
of
plates
and
cups
,
but
,
as
a
rule
,
the
dull
champing
sound
of
boys
solemnly
and
steadily
munching
was
all
that
broke
the
silence
.
Towards
the
end
,
when
the
plates
had
been
generally
cleared
,
and
the
boys
sat
staring
with
the
stolidity
of
repletion
at
one
another
across
the
tables
,
the
junior
house-master
,
Mr.
Tinkler
,
made
his
appearance
.
He
had
lately
left
a
small
and
little-known
college
at
Cambridge
,
where
he
had
contrived
,
contrary
to
expectation
,
to
evade
the
uncoveted
wooden
spoon
by
just
two
places
,
which
enabled
the
Doctor
to
announce
himself
as
being
"
assisted
by
a
graduate
of
the
University
of
Cambridge
who
has
taken
honours
in
the
Mathematical
Tripos
.
"
For
the
rest
,
he
was
a
small
insignificant-looking
person
,
who
evidently
disliked
the
notice
his
late
appearance
drew
upon
himself
.
"
Mr.
Tinkler
,
"
said
the
Doctor
in
his
most
awful
voice
,
"
if
it
were
my
custom
to
rebuke
my
assistants
before
the
school
(
which
it
is
not
)
,
I
should
feel
forced
to
remind
you
that
this
tardiness
in
rising
is
a
bad
beginning
of
the
day
's
work
,
and
sets
a
bad
example
to
those
under
your
authority
.
"
Mr.
Tinkler
made
no
articulate
reply
,
but
sat
down
with
a
crushed
expression
,
and
set
himself
to
devour
bread
and
butter
with
an
energy
which
he
hoped
would
divert
attention
from
his
blushes
;
and
almost
immediately
the
Doctor
looked
at
his
watch
and
said
,
"
Now
,
boys
,
you
have
half-an-hour
for
'
chevy
'
—
make
the
most
of
it
.
When
you
come
in
I
shall
have
something
to
say
to
you
all
.
Do
n't
rise
,
Mr.
Tinkler
,
unless
you
have
quite
finished
.
"
Mr.
Tinkler
preferred
leaving
his
breakfast
to
continuing
it
under
the
trying
ordeal
of
his
principal
's
inspection
.
So
,
hastily
murmuring
that
he
had
"
made
an
excellent
breakfast
"
—
which
he
had
not
—
he
followed
the
others
,
who
clattered
upstairs
to
put
on
their
boots
and
go
out
into
the
playground
.
It
was
noticeable
that
they
did
so
without
much
of
the
enthusiasm
which
might
be
looked
for
from
boys
dismissed
to
their
sports
.
But
the
fact
was
that
this
particular
sport
,
"
chevy
,
"
commonly
known
as
"
prisoners
'
base
,
"
was
by
no
means
a
popular
amusement
,
being
of
a
somewhat
monotonous
nature
,
and
calling
for
no
special
skill
on
the
part
of
the
performers
.
Besides
this
,
moreover
,
it
had
the
additional
disadvantage
(
which
would
have
been
fatal
to
a
far
more
fascinating
diversion
)
of
being
in
a
great
measure
compulsory
.
Football
and
cricket
were
of
course
reserved
for
half-holidays
,
and
played
in
a
neighbouring
field
rented
by
the
Doctor
,
and
in
the
playground
he
restricted
them
to
"
chevy
,
"
which
he
considered
,
rightly
enough
,
both
gave
them
abundant
exercise
and
kept
them
out
of
mischief
.
Accordingly
,
if
any
adventurous
spirit
started
a
rival
game
,
it
was
usually
abandoned
sooner
or
later
in
deference
to
suggestions
from
headquarters
which
were
not
intended
to
be
disregarded
.
This
,
though
undoubtedly
well
meant
,
did
not
serve
to
stimulate
their
affection
for
the
game
,
an
excellent
one
in
moderation
,
but
one
which
,
if
played
"
by
special
desire
"
two
or
three
hours
a
day
for
weeks
in
succession
is
apt
to
lose
its
freshness
and
pall
upon
the
youthful
mind
.
It
was
a
bright
morning
.
There
had
been
a
hard
frost
during
the
night
,
and
the
ground
was
hard
,
sparkling
with
rime
and
ringing
to
the
foot
.
The
air
was
keen
and
invigorating
,
and
the
bare
black
branches
of
the
trees
were
outlined
clear
and
sharp
against
the
pale
pure
blue
of
the
morning
sky
.
Just
the
weather
for
a
long
day
's
skating
over
the
dark
green
glassy
ice
,
or
a
bracing
tramp
on
country
roads
into
cheery
red-roofed
market
towns
.
But
now
it
had
lost
all
power
to
charm
.
It
was
almost
depressing
by
the
contrast
between
the
boundless
liberty
suggested
,
and
the
dull
reality
of
a
round
of
uninteresting
work
which
was
all
it
heralded
.
So
they
lounged
listlessly
about
,
gravitating
finally
towards
the
end
of
the
playground
,
where
a
deep
furrow
marked
the
line
of
the
base
.
There
was
