"No," said I, in my best legal manner. "There is no school to-morrow--_ergo_, there cannot be a captain of a non-existent thing.
To-morrow is a _dies non_ as far as I"m concerned. Why this thirst for knowledge, Phil?"
"Because I want you to be my second against Acton, and I didn"t want your captaincy to aid or abet me in a thing which is against rules."
"I see," said I, warmly, "and I will sink the rules and all the rest, and trust to a little rough justice being done on an arrant scamp."
"Thanks," said Phil. "With you as second and a good cause, I ought to teach Acton a little genuine lesson."
"I"d rather trust in a good straight left."
"All right, then. I"ll see Acton now, and bring him to the point."
"Do, and let me have the result."
Phil swung off in that cool, level-headed fashion which is peculiarly his own. He had thought the matter out thoroughly in that five minutes"
brown study, and now that he had put his hand to the plough he would not look back. I liked the set shoulders and his even step down the corridor. Surely something must reach Acton now! He walked down the street, turned in at Biffen"s yard, and mounted up to Acton"s room. He knocked firmly on the partly open door, and when he heard Acton"s "Come in," walked solidly in.
Acton smiled amiably when he saw his visitor, and, with his half-foreign politeness, drew out a chair.
"No, thanks," said Phil, icily; "but, if you"ve no objection, I"d like to close your door. May I?"
"By all means."
"My opinion of you, Acton----"
"Why trouble about that, Bourne; I know it.".
----"is that you"re an unmitigated cad."
"Gently, friend, gently," said Acton, half getting up.
"You, by your foul play, have disfigured poor Aspinall for life----"
"Bourne, you"re a monomaniac on that subject. I"ve had the pleasure of telling you once before that you were a liar."
"And you did not get your "footer" cap for it, which seems such a paltry punishment for so villainous a crime."
"That is stale, stale," said Acton, coolly.
"You entice my brother to London, which means expulsion for him if it is found out by Dr. Moore."
"I believe that"s the rule."
"The expulsion of Jack would bring disgrace on an honest name in the school and give pain to an honest gentleman----"
"The pity o" "t," said Acton, with a sneer.
"And so, since you, by a kind of malicious fate, seem to escape all proper punishment----"
"You should be a parson, Bourne."
"I"m going to try to give you your deserts myself."
"An avenging angel. Oh, ye G.o.ds!"
"Do you mind turning out at the old milling ground at seven sharp to-morrow morning?"
"The mornings are chilly," said Acton, with a sn.i.g.g.e.r. "Besides, I don"t really see what pressing obligation I"m under to turn out at that time for the poor pleasure of knocking you down."
"I never thought you were a coward."
"How charitable!"
"But we must bring you to book somehow. Will you fight--now?"
Before he had time to avoid the blow Phil had struck him lightly on the face. For one half second a veritable devil peeped out of Acton"s eyes as he sprung at Phil. But Phil quickly backed, and said coolly, "No--no, sir! Let us do the thing decently and in order. You can try to do all you wish to-morrow morning very much at your ease. I apologize for striking you in your own room, but necessity, you know----"
"Bourne, you"ll regret that blow!"
"Never," said Phil, emphatically, and with cutting contempt. "I have asked Carr to second me. I dare say Vercoe would do the same for you. He has the merit of being a perfectly straightforward fellow, and since he does not go home like the rest to-morrow----"
"Thanks. Vercoe will do excellently. He is a friend of yours, too!"
"I"m glad to say he is."
"Well, you may now be pretty certain there will be no foul play, whatever else may follow. I"ll teach you wisdom on your front teeth."
"I dare say," said Phil, as he coolly stalked out, and left Acton curled up on his chair, like a cobra balancing for its stroke.
CHAPTER XXIV
A RENEWED FRIENDSHIP
One morning Gus was much astonished to receive a letter containing a blank sheet of notepaper enfolding a postal order for 1. This was properly filled in, payable to A.V.R. Todd at St. Amory"s Post-office, but there was not the slightest clue as to the sender. Gus looked at the blue and white slip in an ecstasy of astonishment. Now, Gus knew that no one was aware of his bankrupt exchequer save Cotton, and he knew that Jim was not likely to have said anything about it for one or two very good reasons, and would now keep it darker than ever. If it were known that Gus had been practically pilloried for being penniless by the fellow who had lifted his cash, Cotton would have heard a few fancy remarks on his own conduct which would have made his ears tingle. Gus pondered over this problem of the sender until he felt giddy, but he finally came to the conclusion that Cotton had regretted his polite attentions to an old friend, and had sent the order as a kind of _amende honorable_. Gus instantly regretted the fervent wishes about the boiling oil and the public kicking for Jim Cotton, and he also determined to go and thank his old patron for what he was sure was his anonymous gift.
So, after breakfast, he cashed the order and, with pockets heavier with coin than they had been for some time, he went to Jim Cotton"s room. Jim received him with an odd mixture of anger and shame, and when Gus handed over to him two half-crowns, Cotton in some confusion, told him to hand them over to Philips, who had initiated the subscription for the Penfold tablet.
"Thought you were the secretary?" said Gus.
"No! I"m out of the boat now. Philips is the man," said Cotton, sulkily.
"And, by the way, Jim, it wasn"t half bad of you to send me that order.
It was no end brickish, especially after I had left you more or less in the lurch."