by F. W. Farrar
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
A TURBULENT SCHOOL MEETING.
I hate when vice can bolt her arguments, And virtue have no tongue to check her pride.
Milton's Comus.
Next morning, after second school, Power went to see how Eden and Walterwere getting on. He opened the door softly, and they did not observehis entrance.
Eden, very pale, and with an expression of pain and terror stillreflected in his face, lay in a broken and restless sleep. Walter wassitting as still as death at the head of the bed. A book lay on hisknees, but he had not been reading. He was in a "brown study," and thedreamy far-off look with which his eyes were fixed upon vacancy showedhow his thoughts had wandered. It was the same look which attractedPower's attention when he first saw Walter in chapel, and which hadshown him that he was no common boy. It often made him watch Walter,and wonder what _could_ be occupying his thoughts.
It was looking at poor little Eden that had suggested to Walter's mindthe train of thought into which he had fallen. As he saw the childtossing uneasily about, waking every now and then to half-consciousnesswith a violent start, occasionally delirious, and to all appearancesseriously ill--as he thought over Dr Keith's remark, that even when hewas quite well again his nervous system would be probably found to havereceived a shock of which the effects would _never_ be obliteratedduring life, he could not help fretting very bitterly over the injuryand suffering of his friend. And his own spirits were greatly shaken.It was of little matter that every time he raised his hand to cool hisforehead, or ease the throbbing of his head, he felt how much he wasbruised, cut, and swollen, or that the looking-glass showed him a faceso hideously disfigured; he knew that this would grow right in a day ortwo, and he cared nothing for it. But when Harpour's blow knocked himdown, he had dashed his head with some violence on the floor, and thishad hurt him so much and made him feel so ill, that Dr Keith was notwithout secret fears about the possibility of a concussion of the brain.Yet all the sorrow which Walter now felt was for Eden, and he was notthinking of himself.
He was mentally staring face to face at the mystery of human cruelty andmalice. The little boy, whose fine qualities so few besides himself haddiscovered, was lying before him in pain and nervous prostration, solelybecause malignant unkindness seemed to give pleasure to two bad, brutalfellows. Walter had himself rescued Eden by his consistent kindnessfrom being bullied, corrupted, tormented--yet apparently to littlepurpose. That the poor boy's powers would be decidedly injured by thislast prank, was certain. Dr Keith had dropped mysterious hints, andWalter had himself heard how wild and incoherent were Eden's murmurs.If he should become an idiot? O God! that men and boys should have_such_ hearts!
And then and there Walter, while yet a boy, solemnly and consciouslyrecorded an unspoken vow that _he_ at least, till death, would do allthat lay in his own power to lighten, not to increase, the sum of humanmisery; that he would study all things that were kind, and gentle, andtender-hearted, in his dealings with others; that he would ever be onthe watch against wounding thoughts, and uncharitable judgments, andunkind deeds; above all, that he would strive with all his power againstthe temptation to cutting and sarcastic words, against calumny, andmisrepresentation, against envy, hatred, malice, and alluncharitableness. These were the noble thoughts and high resolves whichwere passing through the boy's mind when Power's quiet footstep enteredthe room.
Power stopped for a minute to look at the somewhat saddening picture inthe darkened room--Walter, still as death, deep in thought, his chinleaning on his hand, and his face presenting an uncouth mixture ofshapes and colours as he sat by Eden's bedside; and Eden turning andmoaning in an unrefreshing sleep.
Walter started from his reverie and smiled, as Power noiselesslyapproached.
"My poor Walter, how marked you are!"
"Oh, never mind, it's nothing. I had a good cause, and it's done good."
"Poor fellow! But how's Arty? He looks wretchedly ill."
"He's in a sad way I'm afraid, Power," said Walter, shaking his head.
"I hope he'll be all right soon."
"Yes, I hope so; but we shall have to take great care of him."
"Poor child, poor child!" said Power, bending over him compassionately.
"Has Flip told Somers of Harpour?" asked Walter.
"I don't know whether you are quite up to hearing school news yet."
"O yes! tell me all about it," said Walter eagerly.
"Well, I've no good news to tell. It's a case of _ponos ponoo pononpherei_, as Percival said when I told him about you and Eden. By theby, he sent all sorts of kind messages, and will come and see you."
"Thanks; but about Harpour?"
"Well, Flip meant to tell Somers, but the whole thing spread over theschool at once, before morning chapel was well over; so, Dimock beinghead of Robertson's house, thought it was _his_ place to take it up. Hesent for Harpour in the classroom, and told him he meant to cane him forhis abominable, ruffianly conduct; but before he'd begun, Harpour seizedhold of the cane, and wouldn't let it go. Luckily Dimock didn't flyinto a rage, nor did he let himself down by a fight, which Harpourwanted to bring on. He simply let go of the cane quite coolly, andsaid, `Very well, Harpour, it would have been a good deal the best foryou to have taken quietly the caning you so thoroughly deserve; as youdon't choose to do that, I shall put the matter in Somers' hands. I'mglad to be rid of the responsibility.'"
"Did it end there?"
"Not a bit of it; the school are in a ferment. You know the presentmonitors, and particularly Somers, aren't popular; now Harpour _is_popular, although he's such a brute, because he's a great swell atcricket and the games. I'm afraid we shall have a regular monitorialrow. The monitors have convened a meeting this morning to decide aboutHarpour; and, to tell you the truth, I shouldn't wonder if the schoolgot up a counter-meeting."
"Don't any of the masters know about Eden?"
"Not officially, though I should think some rumours must have got tothem."
"But surely it's very odd that the school should side with Jones andHarpour, after the shameful mischief they've done?"
"Odd, _a priori_; but lots of things always combine to make up a schoolopinion, you know the fellows just catch up what they hear first. Butwho do you think is foremost champion on the school side--stirring themup to resist, abusing you, abusing Flip, abusing the monitors, andmaking light of Harpour's doings?"
Walter asked "Who?" but he knew beforehand that Power's answer wouldbe--
"Kenrick!"
After this he said nothing, but put his hand wearily to his head, whichin his weak state, was aching violently with the excitement of the newswhich Power had told him.
"Ah, I see, Walter, you're not quite well enough yet to be bothered.I'll leave you quiet. Good-bye."
"Good-bye. Do come again soon, and tell me how things go on."
Strolling out from the sad sickroom into the court, Power was attractedinto the great schoolroom by the sound of angry voices. Entering, hefound half the school, and all the lower forms, collected round thelarge desk at which the headmaster usually sat. A great many weretalking at once, and every tongue was engaged in discussing thepropriety, in this instance, of any monitorial interference.
"Order, order," shouted one or two of the few fifth-form fellowspresent; "let's have the thing managed properly. Who'll take thechair?"
There was a general call for Kenrick, and as he was one of the highestfellows in the room, he got into the chair, and amid a general silencedelivered his views of the present affair.
"You all know," he said, "that Dimock meant to cane Harpour because heplayed off a joke against one of the fellows last night. Harpourrefused to take the caning, and the monitors are holding a meeting thismorning to decide what to do about Harpour. Now _I_ maintain thatthey've no right to do anything; and it's very important that weshouldn't let them have just their own way. The thing was merely ajoke. Who thinks anything of just putting on a mask in fun
, to startleanother fellow? One constantly hears of its being done merely to raisea laugh, and we must all have often seen pictures of it. Of course, inthis case, every one is extremely sorry for the consequences, but it wasimpossible to foresee _them_, and nobody has any right to judge of theact because it has turned out so unluckily. I vote that we put thequestion--`Have the monitors any right to interfere?'"
Loud applause greeted the end of Kenrick's speech, and the little bit atthe end about separating an act from its consequences told wonderfullyamong the boys. They raised an almost unanimous cry of "Well done,Ken", "Quite right", "Harpour shan't be caned."
Henderson had been watching Kenrick with an expression of intense angerand disdain. At the end of his remarks, he sprang, rather than rose, upand immediately began to pour out an impetuous answer. His first words,before the fellows had observed that he meant to speak, were drowned inthe general uproar; and when they had all caught sight of him, anexpression of decided disapprobation ran round the throng of listeners.It did not make him swerve in the slightest degree. Looking roundscornfully and steadily, he said--
"I know why some of you hiss. You think I told Dimock of Harpour. Asit happens I _didn't_; but I'm neither afraid nor ashamed to tell youall, as I told Harpour to his face, that I had fully intended to do it--or rather I meant to tell, not Dimock, but Somers. _Will_ you let mespeak?" he asked, angrily, as his last sentence was interrupted by aburst of groans, commenced by a few of those whose interests were mostat stake, and taken up by the mass of ignorant boys.
Power plucked Henderson by the sleeve, and whispered, "Hush, Flip; goon, but keep your temper."
"I've as much right to speak--if this is meant for a school meeting--asKenrick or any one else; and what I have to say is this: Kenrick hasbeen merely throwing dust into your eyes, misleading you altogetherabout the true state of the case. It's all very fine, and very easy forhim to talk so lightly of its being `a joke,' and `a bit of fun,' and soon; but I should like to ask him whether he believes that? and whetherhe's not just hunting for popularity, and mixing up with it a fewprivate spites? and whether he's not thoroughly ashamed of himself atthis moment? There! you may see that he is," continued Henderson,pointing at him; "see how he is blushing scarlet, and looking the verypicture of degradation."
Here Kenrick started up and most irascibly informed Henderson that hewasn't going to sit there and be slanged by him, and that as he was inthe chair, he would not let Henderson go on any more unless he cut shorthis abuse; and while Kenrick was saying this, in which he entirelycarried the meeting with him, Power again whispered, "You're getting toopersonal, Flip; but go on, only say no more about Kenrick--though I'mafraid it's all true."
"Well, at any rate, I will say this," continued Henderson, whose flow ofwords was rather stopped by his having been pulled up so often--"and Iought to know, for I was in the room at the time, and I appeal toAnthony and Franklin, and all the rest of the dormitory, to say if itisn't true. It _wasn't_ a joke. It wasn't _meant_ for a joke. It wasa piece of deliberate, diabolical--"
"Oh! oh! oh!" began a few of Harpour's claqueurs, and the chorus wasagain swelled by a score of others.
"I repeat it--of deliberate, diabolical cruelty, chosen just becausethere was nothing more cruel they dared to do. And," he said, speakingat the top of his voice, to make himself heard over the clamour, "thefellows who did it are a disgrace to Saint Winifred's, and they deserveto be caned by the monitors, if any fellows ever did."
He sat down amid a storm of disapprobation, but his look never quailedfor an instant, as he glanced steadily round, and noticed how Kenrick,though in favour with the multitude, and so much higher in the school,did not venture to meet his eye. And he was more than compensated forthe general disfavour, by feeling Power's hand rest on his shoulder, andhearing him whisper, "That's _famous_, Flip; you're a dear pluckyfellow. Walter himself couldn't have done it more firmly."
Then Belial-like, rose Mackworth, perfectly at his ease, intending asmuch general mischief as lay in his power, and bent on saying as manyunpleasant things as he could. In this, however, his benevolent viewswere materially frustrated by Henderson, who made his contemptuouscomments in a tone sufficiently loud to be heard by many, and quitedistinctly enough to disconcert Mackworth's oratory.
"As the gentleman who has just sat down has poured so many bottles ofwrath--"
"Bottles of French varnish," suggested Henderson--"on our headsgenerally, I must be allowed to make a few remarks in reply. His speechconsisted of nothing but rabid abuse; without a shred ofargument."--"Rabid fact without a shred of fudge," interpolatedHenderson.
"If for every trifling freak fellows were to be telling the monitors, wehad better inaugurate at once the era of sneaks and cowards."
"Era of sham polish and fiddlestick ends," echoed Henderson; andMackworth, who had every intention of making a very flourishing speech,was so disconcerted by this unwonted pruning of his periods, that hesomewhat abruptly sat down, muttering anathemas on Henderson, andflustered quite out of his usual bland manner.
"Something has been said about cowardice and sneaking," said Whalley,getting up. "I should like to know whether you think it more cowardlyto fight a fellow twice one's size, and to mark him pretty considerablytoo" (a remark which Whalley unceremoniously emphasised by pointing atHarpour's black eye), "or to lay a plot to frighten in the dark a merechild, very nervous and very timid, who has never harmed any one in hislife."
Next, Howard Tracy, addressing the meeting, running his handoccasionally through his hair, "would put the question on a differentfooting altogether. As to what had been done to Eden, he stood onneutral ground, and gave no opinion. But who, he asked, were thesemonitors that they should thrash _any one at all_? He had never heardthat they were of particularly good families, or that they had anythingwhatever which gave them a claim to interfere with other fellows. Thequestion was, whether a parcel of monitors were to domineer over theschool?"
"The question was nothing of the kind!" said Franklin very bluntly; "itwas, whether big bullies, like Harpour, were to be at perfect liberty tofrighten fellows into idiots or beat them into mummies, at their ownwill and pleasure? That was the only question. Harpour or Somers--bullies or monitors--which will you have, boys?"
And after this arose a perfect hubbub of voices. Some got up andridiculed the monitors; others extolled Harpour, and tried to make outthat he was misused for being called to account for a mere frolic;others taunted Evson and Henderson with a conspiracy against theirprivate enemies. On the whole, they were nearly unanimous in agreeingthat the school should prevent the monitors from any exercise of theirauthority.
And then, in the midst of the hubbub, Power rose, "in act moregraceful," and there was an immediate and general call for silence. Tothe great majority of the boys, Power was hardly known except by nameand by sight; but his school successes, his rare ability, his stainlesscharacter, and many personal advantages, commanded for him the highestadmiration. His numerous slight acquaintances in the school all likedhis pleasant and playful courtesy, and were proud to know him; his fewfriends entertained for him an almost extravagant affection. Hisancient name, his good family, and the respect due to his high positionin the school, would alone have been sufficient to gain him a favourablehearing; but, besides this, he had hitherto come forward so little, thatthere was a strong curiosity to see what line he would take, and how hewould be able to speak. There were indeed a few who were most anxiousto silence him as quickly as possible, knowing what effect his wordswould be likely to produce; and when he began, they raised several noisyinterruptions; but Kenrick, for very shame, was obliged at first todemand for him the attention which, after the first sentence or two, hisquiet, conciliatory, and persuasive manner effectually secured.
Reviewing the whole tumultuary discussion, he began by answeringKenrick. After alluding to the long course of bullying which had beenended in this manner, he appealed to the common sense of the meetingwhether the thing coul
d be regarded as a mere joke, when they rememberedEden's tender age and highly susceptible nature? Was it not certain,and must it not have been obvious to the bullies, that serious, if notdesperately dangerous results _must_ follow? What those results hadbeen was well-known, and in describing what he had seen of them in thesickroom only half an hour before, Power made a warm appeal to theirfeelings of pity and indignation--an appeal which every one felt to bemanly, and which could not fail of being deeply touching, because it wasboth simple and natural.
"Then," said Power, "the next speaker talked about sneaking andcowardice. Well, those charges had been sufficiently answered byWhalley, and, indeed, on behalf of his friends Evson and Henderson, heperhaps need hardly condescend to answer them at all. His friendHenderson had been long enough among them to need no defence, and if he_did_, it would be sufficiently supplied by the high courage, of whichthey had just seen a specimen. As for Evson, any boy who had given asmany proofs of honour and manliness as _he_ had done during his twoterms at Saint Winifred's, certainly required no one's shield to bethrown over _him_. Would any of them show their courage by walkingacross the Razor on some dark foggy winter's night? and would they findin the school any other fellow of Evson's age who would not shrink fromstanding up in a regular fair fight with another of twice his ownstrength and size? Those charges he thought he might throw to thewinds; he was sure that no one believed them; but there was, headmitted, one cowardice of which his two friends had often been guilty,and it was a cowardice for which they need not blush; he meant thecowardice, the arrant, the noble cowardice of being afraid _not_ to dowhat they thought right, and of being afraid to do what they _knew_ tobe base and wrong."
In these remarks Power quite carried his audience away with him; thestrain was of a higher mood than boys had often heard from boys, and itwas delivered with an eloquence and earnestness that raised a continuousapplause. This, however, Power checked by going on speaking until hewas obliged to stop and take breath; but _then_ it burst out in the mostunmistakable and enthusiastic manner, and entirely drowned the few andtimid counter-demonstrations of the Jones and Mackworth school.
"Now I have detained you too long," said Power, "and I apologise for it(Go on! go on! shouted the boys); but as so _many_ have spoken on theother side, and so few on this, perhaps you will excuse me (Yes, yes!)Well, then, Tracy has asked, `Who are the monitors? and what right havethey to interfere?' I answer, that the monitors are our schoolfellows,and are simply representatives of the most mature form of public schoolopinion. They have all been lower boys; they have all worked their wayup to the foremost place; they are, in short, the oldest, the cleverest,the strongest, and the wisest among us; And their right depends on anauthority voluntarily delegated to them by the masters, by our parents,and by ourselves--a right originally founded on justice and commonsense, and venerable by very many years of prestige and of success. Atany rate, a fellow who behaves as Harpour has done, has the _least_right to complain of this exercise of a higher authority. If he had aright--and he has no right except brute strength, if that be a right--tobully, beat, torment, and perhaps injure for life a poor littleinoffensive child, and by doing so to render the name of the schoolinfamous, I maintain that the monitors, who have the interest of theschool most at heart, who are ranged _ex officio_ on the side of truth,of justice, and of honour, have infinitely more right to thrash him forit. Supposing that there were no monitors, what would the state of theschool be? above all, what would be the condition of the younger andweaker boys? they would be the absolutely defenceless prey of a mostodious tyranny. Let me say then, that I most distinctly andemphatically approve of the manner in which my friends have acted; thatI envy and admire the moral courage which helped them to behave as theydid; and that if the school attempts on this occasion to resist thelegitimate and most wholesome exercise of the monitors' power, it willsuffer a deep disgrace and serious loss. I oppose Kenrick's motion withevery feeling of my heart, and with every sentiment of my mind. I thinkit dangerous, I think it useless, and I think it _most unjust_."
A second burst of applause followed Power's energetic words, andcontinued for several minutes. He had utterly changed the opinions ofmany who were present, and Kenrick felt his entire sympathy andadmiration enlisted on behalf of his former friend. He would at themoment have given anything to get up and retract his previous remarksand beg pardon for them. But his pride and passion were too strong forhim, and coldly rising, he put it to the meeting, "whether they decidedthat the monitors had the right to interfere or not."
Jones, Mackworth, Harpour, and others, were eagerly canvassing forvotes, and when Kenrick demanded a show of hands, a good many wereraised on their side. When the opposite question was put, at first onlyPower, Henderson, Whalley, and Franklin held up their hands; but theywere soon followed by Bliss, then by Anthony and Cradock, and then by agreat many more who took courage when they saw what champions were ontheir side. The hands were counted, and there was found to be an equalnumber on both sides. The announcement was received with dead silence.
"The chairman of course has a casting vote," said Mackworth.
Kenrick sat still for a moment, not without an inward conflict; andthen, afraid to risk his popularity with those whom he had now adoptedas his own set, he said, rising--
"And I give it _against_ the right of the monitors."
A scene of eager partisanship and loud triumph ensued, during whichPower once more stood forward, and observed--
"You must allow me to remind you that the present meeting in no wayrepresents the sense of the school. I do not see a dozen boys presentwho are above the lowest fifth-form; and I do earnestly entreat thosewho have gained this vote not to disturb the peace and comfort of theschool by attempting a collision between themselves and the monitors,who will certainly be supported by the nearly unanimous opinion of theupper fifth forms."
"We shall see about that," answered Kenrick in a confident tone. "Atany rate, the vote is carried." He left the chair, and the boys brokeup into various groups, still eagerly discussing the rights and wrongsof the question which had been stirred.
"_So_, Power," said Kenrick, with a sneer, which he assumed to hide hisreal feelings, "all your fine eloquence is thrown away, you see. We'vecarried the day after all, in spite of you."
"Yes, Ken," said Power, gently; "you've carried it _quocunque modo_.How comes Kenrick to be on the same side as Jones, Mackworth, andHarpour?"