The Master of the Shell Part 4

"I hope I shall not be called upon to deal with it," said he.

"No. I hear Ponsford has the matter in hand himself."

And the friends went on to talk of other matters.

After a while Grover hastened away to his own house, leaving Railsford somewhat uneasy in his mind.

If Dr Ponsford were to question him on the subject of the chariot race, he felt that he would be seriously compromised at the outset of his career. He knew at least the nickname of one of the delinquents; and had actually, by standing and watching the contest without protest, been an accessory to the offence. He busied himself forthwith in his unpacking, and studiously avoided the window until daylight departed, and the court below became silent and deserted.

Just about four o'clock another knock sounded at his door, and Arthur Herapath presented himself, leading by the arm the tawny-haired hero of the chariot race.

"What cheer, Marky?" cried the brother-in-law to be. "Here we are. Had a spiffing spin up from the station, hadn't we, Dig? This it Dig, you know, Sir Digby Oakshott, Baronet, M.P., A.S.S., and n.o.body knows what else. He and I have bagged Sykes' old room, just over here."

Railsford in his shirt-sleeves, and hemmed round by his luggage, looked up rather blankly at this friendly oration. However, his dignity came to his rescue.

"How are you both? I hope we're to have a good steady term, my boys.

Go to your study now--later on we must have a talk."

Arthur looked at his friend and winked; Sir Digby was visibly agitated, and grinned vehemently at a cobweb in the corner of the ceiling.

"All serene," said the former. "By the way, Daisy was all right when I left her, and sent her love and a--"

"Do you hear me, Arthur? Go to your study."

"Oh, all right--but there was a message from the gov. I was to be sure and give you directly I saw you. He says I can have a bob a week pocket-money, and you're to give it to me, and he'll owe it to you at the end of the term. I'd like the first now, please."

"Go immediately to your room," shouted Railsford, as near to losing his temper as his future brother-in-law had ever seen him. "How dare you disobey me?"

"Well, but it was a message from the gov., and--I say, Dig," added he, turning to his friend with a nudge, "you cut when Mark tells you."

Dig departed, and Railsford weakly fell in with the arrangement of the junior, and allowed him to remain and deliver the rest of his domestic messages.

"Now, look here, Arthur," said the master, closing the door and facing his unabashed future kinsman, "we must come to an understanding at once.

During term time I forbid you to mention Daisy's name, either to me or anybody else, unless I wish it--"

The boy whistled. "What, have you had a row, then? Is it all broken off? My eye, what will--"

"Rubbish!" said Mark, scarcely able to keep grave; "it's neither one nor the other. But I don't choose you should talk of her, and I insist on being obeyed."

"Jolly rough not to be able to talk about one's own sister!" interposed the innocent.

"Of course, I mean not in connection with me," said Railsford. "And another thing, you must not call me Mark, but Mr Railsford, while term lasts."

"All serene, Mr Railsford, old man! Jolly stiff, though, between brothers, isn't it?"

"You must treat me as if I were merely your master, and no other relative."

"How queer! Mayn't I even be fond of you?"

"Yes, as your master. I count on you, mind, to set a specially good example to the other boys, and back me up in every way you can. You will be able to do a great deal if you only try."

"I'm game! Am I to be made a prefect, I say, Mark--Mr Railsford, I mean?"

"And remember," said Mark, ignoring the question, "that we are here to work, and not to--to drive omnibuses."

Arthur brightened up suddenly.

"You saw the race, then? Stunning spurt round the last lap, only Dig hadn't any stay in him, and the cab had the inside berth. I say, don't let anybody know it was Dig, will you? He'd get in rather a mess, and he's going to put it on hard this term to make up."

Could anything be more hopeless than the task of impressing this simple- minded youth with a sense of his duty and deportment towards the new Master of the Sh.e.l.l?

Railsford gave the attempt up, and the school-bell happily intervened to make a diversion.

"That's for dinner. It's generally at two, you know; but on opening day it's 4.30," said the boy. "We shall have to cut, or we shall be gated, I say."

"Well, you must show me the way," said Mark. "I'm ready."

"You'll have to wear your cap and gown, though," replied Arthur, "or you'll get in a row."

Railsford hastened to rectify the omission, and next moment was standing in the great square beside his lively young pilot, amid a crowd of boys hastening towards the school hall.

"We'd better do a trot," said the boy.

"We shall do it all right, I think," said the master, whose dignity revolted against any motion more rapid than quick walking. Arthur, trotting at his side and encouraging him from time to time to "put it on," detracted a little from the solemnity of the procession. The bell was just ceasing to ring as they entered the hall, and for the first time Railsford found himself in the presence of the a.s.sembled school.

Arthur had darted off to his own table, leaving his companion to find his way to the masters' table at the head of the hall, where all his colleagues were already in their places, standing for grace.

Railsford, considerably flurried, slipped into the place which Grover had reserved for him just as the head boy present began to recite the Latin collect, and became painfully aware that his already damaged character for punctuality was by no means enhanced in the severe eyes of Dr Ponsford. The new master glanced round a little nervously at his colleagues. Grover introduced him to a few of the nearest, some of whom received him with a friendly greeting, others eyed him doubtfully, and one or two bristled up grimly. The _eclat_ of his first appearance at Grandcourt had paled somewhat, and he was thankful to have Grover to talk to and keep him in countenance.

"Tell me who some of these men are," he whispered. "Which is Roe?"

"On the other side of me. He has the house next to mine. You, I, Roe, and Bickers have the four sides of the Big Square."

"Which is Bickers?"

"The man with the black beard--last but one on the other side."

Railsford gave a furtive look down the table, and encountered the eyes of Mr Bickers fixed discontentedly on him.

A lightning flash at midnight will often reveal minute details of a scene or landscape which in the ordinary glare of day might pa.s.s unnoticed by the observer. So it was in this sudden chance encounter of glances. It lasted not a moment, but it was a declaration of war to the knife on one side, hurled back defiantly on the other.

"Not a bad fellow if you don't stroke him the wrong way," said Grover.

"Oh," said Railsford, in a tone which made his friend start. "Who is beyond him?"

"Lablache, the French master; not very popular, I fancy."

And so on, one master after another was pointed out, and Railsford formed his own opinions of each, and began to feel at home with several of them already. But whenever his eyes turned towards the end of the table they invariably encountered those of Bickers.