Mildred Arkell, (Vol 3 of 3)

to Peter Arkell's. Henry w

e so imprudent as to come back and take the

d Henry. "The one, originall

me. The cathedral does not lack anthems,

, then to his temple. "It was somewhere here-

to clatter in at the gate. Henry would have r

ill send them off. Lie still and go t

Arkell, in a tone full of pain

loved you as such. Treat me as one now. What tale is it those

ell turned his face to the

hat's nothing; it's the fashion in the schoo

ame: they told Georgina Beauclerc! I would rather die

Mr. St. John's heart ached for him: though h

d she been the dean's son, instead of his daughter, she would have been in Rutterley's sanctu

so cruelly by them. If I could but go to some far-o

in Georgina Beauclerc's opinion, which you seem to estimate so highly (it's more than I do), if you pledged all you pos

could not, indeed. Mon

more than he meant: and St. John took

for I am pawning my estate, piecemeal. Mind! that's a true confessio

watch: I thought he would be sure to let me have ten pounds upon it. But he would not; only six: and I h

panions could say. How did

nnot

the--the

t?" aske

"I am trying to be genteel, and you wo

languidly reached forth the pieces, an

do that, M

at leisure. Wha

s beginnin

lking. I'm off. Good-bye. Get

den and round the gate s

, is he half killed? Ed

Mr. St. John. "But he wants quiet, and

have fallen down from vexation, because hi

eyes over the assem

ied Cookesley, the second senior of the school. "Aulta

told the d

waiting for him," explained Vaughan to Mr. St. John. "Something she said to Aultane put

take the dean's medal there," rejoined Cookes

rious, no doubt," retur

Mr. St

e allowance for you in all ways. But when I was in th

still," cried th

pitched ourselves off that tower," pointing to it with his hand,

ied Cookesley. "Aultane must have been out

know that Arkell's

w. He says he'll pl

ht it out of the house to show me. He is in bed now, but perhaps if you ask him to-morrow, he will be able to show it to you. At any rate, do not condemn him until you are sure th

s being raised for fair play and Mr. S

hat the way you keep Sunday in

n, as he walked home. "Aultane's a me

able consternation in the minds of the seniors; and that gentleman himself

led the judges' holiday. The custom was for the senior judge to send his card out and his compliments to the head master, requesting him to grant it

e previous day in the cathedral, the school appeared to merit punishment rather than holiday. So the boys went back, dreadfully chapfallen, kicking as

me out to the head master, who would naturally inquire into the cause of the holiday's being denied; and he wondered

at Henry Arkell's bedside. "We

y know which. It does not feel as

ng him the watch. "And put up this in your treasure place, whe

t. John! Y

ey; and he tells me who was down there and on what errand. Ah, ah, M

you anything," said Hen

in Westerbury," smiled he who owned it. "Harry, m

e judges'

e boys have sneaked back like so ma

interrupted Henry. Such a thing had

he bottom of the mischief yet. Don't you attempt to go near school or college,

I ever thank you, Mr. St. John? I do not know when

g in gold. I have done this for my own pleasure, and I will not be cheated out of it

and it was as much as Prattleton's king's scholarship was worth to attempt to disguise by so much as a word, or to soften down, the message sent out from the judges. But the closer the master questioned the rest of the

ht and nine; and you may be very sure that the boys did not proceed to the college hall of their own accord. But after breakfast they assembled as usual at ha

, "how came he to fall down in col

surplice," said Vaughan the b

do that? You were standing. Your surplices are not long enough t

to Bright Vaughan, for being so free with his tongue; but he loo

urplice, sir. Perhaps he was giddy yester

hanting. Before eleven they were back again; and the master had called up the head class, and was again remarking on the absence of Henry Arkell,

said the dean, after a few words of co

r junior,

chori

ishing himself and his tongue and the dean, and all the rest of the world withi

gard anyone, even a rebellious college boy, "you preferred a charge to me yesterday against the senior c

h the floor!" groaned Aultane to himself. "W

Aultane remained silent. "You had no business to make the comp

green and yellow. The dean eyed

roof," falte

ke the charge to me,

has pledged

. St. John knows he had it i

imed cognizance of the matter. "If you behave in this extraordinary way, you will compel me to conclude that you have made the charge to prej

you will find his medal is there

uest him to dispatch his medal here, if the dean approve

e errand. He brought back the medal. Henry was not in th

your conduct?" sternly

isted the discomfited Aultane, who was in a terrible state, between w

ask him a few questions. He informed me there was a college boy at his place on Saturday, endeavouring to pledge a table-spoon, but he knew th

on the head-master's face was only matched by the confusion of A

ud, to Mr. Wilberforce. "It was something that occurred in the cathedral yesterday, in the hearing, unfortu

scandalised by the mysterious allusions to Rutterley's, that he would have liked to tre

eton senior to Aultane, as the latter returned to his desk, laden wi

retreat of that very reverend divine, who went out carrying the gold medal between his

ded into silence, for the two were c

l to take a holiday for a day or two. That was a violent fall yesterday; an

seen him,

house as he came out of it, on his way to college, I suppose. It

inquiring about it just now, but the

n learn. At any rate, rest will

Mr. Dean. Thank you

ior in particular. It said as plainly as looks could say, "I'd not peach again, boys, if I were you;" and Aul

ver knew. Henry himself never knew. St. John quitted the dean at the deanery, and went on to restore the medal to its owner: alt

back in an elbow-chair, his fingers pressed upon his head; Lucy was at work near the window; Mrs. Peter, looking very ill, sa

romising plainness, being unable to get any clear

ll," answe

the seats of the king's scholars and the cross benches; there's

first lesson was just over, and the people were ri

you down: unless you turned gidd

aking with his hand mostly before his eyes, and seemed to a

ppened," spoke Mrs. Arkell. "Don't press him; he s

s. Arkell negatived; she thought it might not be well for the giddiness he complained of in the head. St. John took his leave, and Henry went with him outside,

at there's any mystery

ated, raising her e

l, or that he won't tell. I think it is the latter; there is a restra

uld he not s

u will say, for so slight a matter. I may be wrong-if you h

e same time. It was Harry's rowing jersey, and it was ge

said. "And the difficulty is to darn it so that the dar

atch it?" as

Harry go rowing in a patche

don't think I sho

s returning. "A rich man may go about without shoes if he

ell, I should mend that jersey with a new

ere's Mr. St. John looking round for yo

a tone that was rather a significant one.

for it, seeing that he came in two or three times