Im quite prepared to tell him what I think of him publicly, sir, said Heriot.
A murmur of exultation passed through the school. Mr. Rippenger seized little Temple, and flogged him. Far from dreading the rod, now that Heriot and Temple had tasted it, I thought of punishment as a mad pleasure, not a bit more awful than the burning furze-bush plunged into by our fellows in a follow-my-leader scamper on the common; so I caught Temples hand as he went by me, and said, eagerly, Shall I sing out hurrah?
Bother it! was Temples answer, for he had taken a stinging dozen, and had a tender skin.
Mr. Rippenger called me up to him, to inform me, that whoever I was, and whatever I was, and I might be a little impostor foisted on his benevolence, yet he would bring me to a knowledge of myself: he gave me warning of it; and if my father objected to his method, my father must write word to that effect, and attend punctually to business duties, for Surrey House was not an almshouse, either for the sons of gentlemen of high connection, or for the sons of vagabonds. Mr. Rippenger added a spurning shove on my shoulder to his recommendation to me to resume my seat. I did not understand him at all. I was, in fact, indebted to a boy named Drew, a known sneak, for the explanation, in itself difficult to comprehend. It was, that Mr. Rippenger was losing patience because he had received no money on account of my boarding and schooling. The intelligence filled my head like the buzz of a fly, occupying my meditations without leading them anywhere. I spoke on the subject to Heriot.
Oh, the sordid old brute! said he of Mr. Rippenger. How can he know the habits and feelings of gentlemen? Your fathers travelling, and cant write, of course. My fathers in India, and I get a letter from him about once a year. We know one another, and I know hes one of the best officers in the British army. Its just the way with schoolmasters and tradesmen: they dont care whether a man is doing his duty to his country; he must attend to them, settle accounts with themhang them! Ill send you money, dear little lad, after Ive left.
He dispersed my brooding fit. I was sure my father was a fountain of gold, and only happened to be travelling. Besides, Heriots love for Julia, whom none of us saw now, was an incessant distraction. She did not appear at prayers. She sat up in the gallery at church, hardly to be spied. A letter that Heriot flung over the gardenwall for her was returned to him, open, enclosed by post.
A letter for Walter Heriot, exclaimed Mr. Boddy, lifting it high for Heriot to walk and fetch it; and his small eyes blinked when Heriot said aloud on his way, cheerfully,
A letter from the colonel in India!
Boddy waited a minute, and then said, Is your father in good health?
Heriots face was scarlet. At first he stuttered, My father!I hope so! What have you in common with him, sir?
You stated that the letter was from your father, said Boddy.
What if it is, sir?
Oh, in that case, nothing whatever to me.
They talked on, and the youngest of us could perceive Boddy was bursting with devilish glee. Heriot got a letter posted to Julia. It was laid on his desk, with her name scratched completely out, and his put in its place. He grew pale and sad, but did his work, playing his games, and only letting his friends speak to him of lessons and play. His counsel to me was, that in spite of everything, I was always to stick to my tasks and my cricket. His sadness he could not conceal. He looked like an old lamp with a poor light in it. Not a boy in the school missed seeing how Boddys flat head perpetually had a side-eye on him.
All this came to an end. John Salters father lived on the other side of the downs, and invited three of us to spend a day at his house. The selection included Heriot, Saddlebank, and me. Mr. Rippenger, not liking to refuse Mr. Salter, consented to our going, but pretended that I was too young. Salter said his mother and sisters very much wished to make my acquaintance. We went in his fathers carriage. A jolly wind blew clouds and dust and leaves: I could have fancied I was going to my own father. The sensation of freedom had a magical effect on me, so that I was the wildest talker of them all. Even in the middle of the family I led the conversation; and I did not leave Salters house without receiving an assurance from his elder sisters that they were in love with me. We drove homeback to prison, we called itfull of good things, talking of Salters fathers cellar of wine and of my majority Burgundy, which I said, believing it was true, amounted to twelve hundred dozen; and an appointment was made for us to meet at Dipwell Farm, to assist in consuming it, in my honour and my fathers. That matter settled, I felt myself rolling over and over at a great rate, and clasping a juniper tree. The horses had trenched from the chalk road on to the downs. I had been shot out. Heriot and Salter had jumped outHeriot to look after me; but Saddlebank and the coachman were driving at a great rate over the dark slope. Salter felt some anxiety concerning his fathers horses, so we left him to pursue them, and walked on laughing, Heriot praising me for my pluck.
I say good-bye to you to-night, Richie, said he. Were certain to meet again. I shall go to a military school. Mind you enter a cavalry regiment when youre man enough. Look in the Army List, youll find me there. My aunt shall make a journey and call on you while youre at Rippengers, so you shant be quite lonely.
To my grief, I discovered that Heriot had resolved he would not return to school.
Youll get thrashed, he said; I cant help it: I hope youve grown tough by this time. I cant stay here. I feel more like a dog than a man in that house now. Ill see you back safe. No crying, young cornet!
We had lost the sound of the carriage. Heriot fell to musing. He remarked that the accident took away from Mr. Salter the responsibility of delivering him at Surrey House, but that he, Heriot, was bound, for Mr. Salters sake, to conduct me to the doors; an unintelligible refinement of reasoning, to my wits. We reached our town between two and three in the morning. There was a ladder leaning against one of the houses in repair near the school. You are here, are you! said Heriot, speaking to the ladder: you ll do me a servicethe last I shall want in the neighbourhood. He managed to poise the ladder on his shoulder, and moved forward.
Are we going in through the window? I asked, seeing him fix the ladder against the school-house wall.
He said, Hush; keep a look-out.
I saw him mount high. When he tapped at the window I remembered it was Julias; I heard her cry out inside. The window rose slowly. Heriot spoke:
I have come to say good-bye to you, Julia, dear girl: dont be afraid of me. She answered inaudibly to my ears. He begged her to come to him at once, only once, and hear him and take his hand. She was timid; he had her fingers first, then her whole arm, and she leaned over him. Julia, my sweet, dear girl, he said; and she:
Heriot, Walter, dont godont go; you do not care for me if you go. Oh, dont go.
Weve come to it, said Heriot.
She asked why he was not in bed, and moaned on:
Dont go. I was speechless with wonder at the night and the scene. They whispered; I saw their faces close together, and Heriots arms round her neck. Oh, Heriot, my darling, my Walter, she said, crying, I knew by the sound of her voice.
Tell me you love me, said Heriot.
I do, I do, only dont go, she answered.
Tell me you love me, said Heriot.
I do, I do, only dont go, she answered.
Will you love me faithfully?
I will; I do.
Say, I love you, Walter.
I love you, Walter.
For ever.
For ever. Oh! what a morning for me. Do you smell my honeysuckle? Oh, dont go away from me, Walter. Do you love me so?
Id go through a regiment of sabres to get at you.
But smell the night air; how sweet! oh, how sweet! No, not kiss me, if you are going to leave me; not kiss me, if you can be so cruel!
Do you dream of me in your bed?
Yes, every night.
God bless the bed!
Every night I dream of you. Oh! brave Heriot; dear, dear Walter, you did not betray me; my father struck you, and you let him for my sake. Every night I pray heaven to make you forgive him: I thought you would hate me. I cried till I was glad you could not see me. Look at those two little stars; no, they hurt me, I cant look at them ever again. But no, you are not going; you want to frighten me. Do smell the flowers. Dont make them poison to me. Oh, what a morning for me when youre lost! And me, to look out on the night alone! No, no more kisses! Oh, yes, I will kiss you, dear.
Heriot said, Your mother was Irish, Julia.
Yes. She would have loved you.
I ve Irish blood too. Give me her portrait. It s the image of you.
To take away? Walter! not to take it away?
You darling! to keep me sure of you.
Part with my mothers portrait?
Why, yes, if you love me one bit.
But you are younger than me, Heriot.
Then good-night, good-bye, Julia.
Walter, I will fetch it.
Heriot now told her I was below, and she looked down on me and called my name softly, sending kisses from her fingers while he gave the cause for our late return.
Some one must be sitting up for youare we safe? she said.
Heriot laughed, and pressed for the portrait.
It is all I have. Why should you not have it? I want to be remembered.
She sobbed as she said this and disappeared. Heriot still talked into her room. I thought I heard a noise of the garden-door opening. A man came out rushing at the ladder. I called in terror: Mr. Boddy, stop, sir. He pushed me savagely aside, pitching his whole force against the ladder. Heriot pulled down Julias window; he fell with a heavy thump on the ground, and I heard a shriek above. He tried to spring to his feet, but dropped, supported himself on one of his hands, and cried:
All right; no harm done; how do you do, Mr. Boddy? I thought Id try one of the attics, as we were late, not to disturb the house. I m not hurt, I tell you, he cried as loud as he could.
The ushers words were in a confusion of rage and inquiries. He commanded Heriot to stand on his legs, abused him, asked him what he meant by it, accused him of depravity, of crime, of disgraceful conduct, and attempted to pluck him from the spot.
Hands off me, said Heriot; I can help myself. The youngster ll help me, and well go round to the front door. I hope, sir, you will behave like a gentleman; make no row here, Mr. Boddy, if youve any respect for people inside. We were upset by Mr. Salters carriage; its damaged my leg, I believe. Have the goodness, sir, to go in by your road, and well go round and knock at the front door in the proper way. We shall have to disturb the house after all.
Heriot insisted. I was astonished to see Boddy obey him and leave us, after my dear Heriot had hopped with his hand on my shoulder to the corner of the house fronting the road. While we were standing alone a light cart drove by. Heriot hailed it, and hopped up to the driver.
Take me to London, theres a good fellow, he said; Im a gentleman; you neednt look fixed. Ill pay you well and thank you. But quick. Haul me up, up; heres my hand. By jingo! this is pain.
The man said, Scamped it out of school, sir?
Heriot replied: Mum. Rely on me when I tell you Im a gentleman.
Well, if I pick up a gentleman, I cant be doing a bad business, said the man, hauling him in tenderly.
Heriot sung to me in his sweet manner, Good-bye, little Richie. Knock when five minutes are over. God bless you, dear little lad! Leg ll get well by morning, never fear for me; and well meet somehow; well drink the Burgundy. No crying. Kiss your hand to me.
I kissed my hand to him. I had no tears to shed; my chest kept heaving enormously. My friend was gone. I stood in the road straining to hear the last of the wheels after they had long been silent.
CHAPTER VI. A TALE OF A GOOSE
From that hour till the day Heriots aunt came to see me, I lived systematically out of myself in extreme flights of imagination, locking my doors up, as it were, all the faster for the extremest strokes of Mr. Rippengers rod. He remarked justly that I grew an impenetrably sullen boy, a constitutional rebel, a callous lump: and assured me that if my father would not pay for me, I at least should not escape my debts. The title of little impostor, transmitted from the masters mouth to the school in designation of one who had come to him as a young prince, and for whom he had not received one pennys indemnification, naturally caused me to have fights with several of the boys. Whereupon I was reported: I was prayed at to move my spirit, and flogged to exercise my flesh. The prayers I soon learnt to laugh to scorn. The floggings, after they were over, crowned me with delicious sensations of martyrdom. Even while the sting lasted I could say, its for Heriot and Julia! and it gave me a wonderful penetration intothe mournful ecstasy of love. Julia was sent away to a relative by the sea-side, because, one of the housemaids told me, she could not bear to hear of my being beaten. Mr. Rippenger summoned me to his private room to bid me inform him whether I had other relatives besides my father, such as grandfather, grandmother, uncles, or aunts, or a mother. I dare say Julia would have led me to break my word to my father by speaking of old Riversley, a place I half longed for since my father had grown so distant and dim to me; but confession to Mr. Rippenger seemed, as he said of Heriots behaviour to him, a gross breach of trust to my father; so I refused steadily to answer, and suffered the consequences now on my dear fathers behalf. Heriots aunt brought me a cake, and in a letter from him an extraordinary sum of money for a boy of my age. He wrote that he knew I should want it to pay my debts for treats to the boys and keep them in good humour. He believed also that his people meant to have me for the Christmas holidays. The sum he sent me was five pounds, carefully enclosed. I felt myself a prince again. The money was like a golden gate through which freedom twinkled a finger. Forthwith I paid my debts, amounting to two pounds twelve shillings, and instructed a couple of day-boarders, commercial fellows, whose heavy and mysterious charges for commissions ran up a bill in no time, to prepare to bring us materials for a feast on Saturday. Temple abominated the trading propensities of these boys. They never get licked and theyve always got money, at least I know they always get mine, said he; but you and I and Heriot despise them. Our position toward them was that of an encumbered aristocracy, and really they paid us great respect. The fact was that, when they had trusted us, they were compelled to continue obsequious, for Heriot had instilled the sentiment in the school, that gentlemen never failed to wipe out debts in the long run, so it was their interest to make us feel they knew us to be gentlemen, who were at some time or other sure to pay, and thus also they operated on our consciences. From which it followed that one title of superiority among us, ranking next in the order of nobility to the dignity conferred by Mr. Rippengers rod, was the being down in their books. Temple and I walked in the halo of unlimited credit like more than mortal twins. I gave an order for four bottles of champagne.