When they got home, Eric found three notes in his drawer. One was from Mr Gordon, and ran thus--
"I have little doubt, Williams, that you have done this act. Believe me, I feel no anger, only pity for you. Come to me and confess, and I promise, by every means in my power, to befriend and save you."
This note he read, and then, stamping on the floor, tore it up furiously into twenty pieces, which he scattered about the room.
Another was from Mr Rose--
"Dear Eric--I _cannot, will_ not, believe you guilty, although appearances look very black. You have many faults, but I feel sure that I cannot be mistaken in supposing you too n.o.ble-minded for a revenge so petty and so mean. Come to me, my boy, if I can help you in any way. I _trust you_, Eric, and will use every endeavour to right you in the general estimation. You are innocent; pray to G.o.d for help under this cruel trial, and be sure that your character will yet be cleared.--Affectionately yours, Walter Rose."
"P.S.--I can easily understand that just now you will like quiet; come and sit with me in the library as much as you like."
He read this note two or three times with grateful emotion, and at that moment would have died for Mr Rose. The third note was from Owen, as follows--
"Dear Williams--We have been cool to each other lately; naturally, perhaps. But yet I think that it will be some consolation to you to be told, even by a rival, that I, for one, feel certain of your innocence,--and, moreover, think that I can _prove_ it, as I will tell you in time. If you want company, I shall be delighted to have a walk.--Yours truly, D. Owen."
This note, too, brought much comfort to the poor boy"s lonely and pa.s.sionate heart. He put it into his pocket, and determined at once to accept Mr Rose"s kind offer of allowing him to sit for the present in the library.
There were several boys in the room while he was reading his notes, but none of them spoke to him, and he was too proud to notice them, or interrupt the constrained silence. As he went out he met Duncan and Montagu, who at once addressed him in the hearing of the rest.
"Ha! Williams," said Duncan, "we have been looking everywhere for you, old fellow. Cheer up, you shall be cleared yet. I for one, and Monty for another, will maintain your innocence before the whole school."
Montagu _said_ nothing, but Eric understood full well the trustful kindness of his pressure of the hand. His heart was too full to speak, and he went on towards the library.
"I wonder at your speaking to that fellow," said Ball, as the two newcomers joined the group at the fireplace.
"You will be yourself ashamed of having ever suspected him before long,"
said Montagu warmly; "ay, the whole lot of you; and you are very unkind to condemn him before you are certain."
"I wish you joy of your _friend_, Duncan," sneered Barker.
"Friend?" said Duncan, firing up; "yes! he is my friend, and I"m not ashamed of him. It would be well for the school if _all_ the fellows were as honourable as Williams."
Barker took the hint, and although he was too brazen to blush, thought it better to say no more.
VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWELVE.
THE TRIAL.
A plot, a plot, a plot, to ruin all.
_Tennyson, The Princess_.
On the Monday evening the head-boy reported to Dr Rowlands that the perpetrator of the offence had not been discovered, but that one boy was very generally suspected, and on grounds that seemed plausible. "I admit," he added, "that from the little I know of him, he seems to me a very unlikely sort of boy to do it."
"I think," suggested the Doctor, "that the best way would be for you to have a regular trial on the subject and hear the evidence. Do you think that you can be trusted to carry on the investigation publicly, with good order and fairness?"
"I think so, sir," said Avonley.
"Very well. Put up a notice, asking all the school to meet by themselves in the boarders" room to-morrow afternoon at three, and see what you can do among you."
Avonley did as the Doctor suggested. At first, when the boys a.s.sembled, they seemed inclined to treat the matter as a joke, and were rather disorderly; but Avonley briefly begged them, if they determined to have a trial, to see that it was conducted sensibly; and by general consent he was himself voted into the desk as president. He then got up and said--
"There must be no sham or nonsense about this affair. Let all the boys take their seats quietly down the room."
They did so, and Avonley asked, "Is Williams here?"
Looking round, they discovered he was not. Russell instantly went to the library to fetch him, and told him what was going on. He took Eric"s arm kindly as they entered, to show the whole school that he was not ashamed of him, and Eric deeply felt the delicacy of his goodwill.
"Are you willing to be tried, Williams," asked Avonley, "on the charge of having written the insulting paper about Mr Gordon? Of course we know very little how these kind of things ought to be conducted, but we will see that everything done is open and above ground, and try to manage it properly."
"There is nothing I should like better," said Eric.
He had quite recovered his firm manly bearing. A quiet conversation with his dearly loved friend and master had rea.s.sured him in the confidence of innocence, and though the colour on his cheeks had through excitement sunk into two bright red spots, he looked wonderfully n.o.ble and winning as he stood before the boys in the centre of the room, modest, and yet with the proud consciousness of innocence in his bearing. His appearance caused a little reaction in his favour, and a murmur of applause followed his answer.
"Good," said Avonley; "who will prosecute on the part of the school?"
There was a pause. n.o.body seemed to covet the office.
"Very well; if no one is willing to prosecute, the charge drops."
"I will do it," said Gibson, a Rowlandite, one of the study-boys at the top of the fifth-form. He was a clever fellow, and Eric liked the little he had seen of him.
"Have you any objection, Williams, to the jury being composed of the sixth-form? or are there any names among them which you wish to challenge?"
"No," said Eric, glancing round indifferently.
"Well, now, who will defend the accused?"
Another pause, and Upton got up.
"No," said Eric at once. "You were inclined to distrust me, Upton, and I will only be defended by somebody who never doubted my innocence."
Another pause followed, and then, blushing crimson, Russell got up. "I am only a Sh.e.l.l boy," he said; "but if Eric doesn"t mind trusting his cause to me, I will defend him since no other fifth-form fellow stirs."
"Thank you, Russell, I _wanted_ you to offer; I could wish no better defender."
"Will Owen, Duncan, and Montagu help me, if they can?" asked Russell.
"Very willingly," they all three said, and went to take their seats by him. They conversed eagerly for a few minutes, seeming to make more than one discovery during their discussion, and then declared themselves ready.
"All I have got to do," said Gibson rising, "is to bring before the school the grounds for suspecting Williams, and all the evidence which makes it probable that he is the offender. Now, first of all, the thing must have been done between Friday evening and Sat.u.r.day morning; and since the schoolroom door is generally locked soon after school, it was probably done in the short interval between six and a quarter-past. I shall now examine some witnesses."
The first boy called upon was Pietrie, who deposed that on Friday evening, when he left the room, having been detained a few minutes, the only boy remaining in it was Williams.
Carter, the school-servant, was then sent for, and deposed that he had met Master Williams hastily running out of the room, when he went at a quarter-past six to lock the door.
Examined by Gibson--