"How old are you?" he demanded presently.
"Thirteen."
"What"s your name?"
"Bertie Aspinall."
"Whose house are you going to live in?"
"Mr Westover"s."
"Oh!" said d.i.c.k, abruptly ending the conversation, and turning round towards Heathcote.
In due time the meal was over, and the boys were told they could do as they liked for the next hour, until the matron was at leisure to show them their quarters.
So for another hour the promenade in the Quadrangle was resumed. Not so dismally, however, as before. The tea had broken the ice wonderfully, and instead of the studied avoidance of the afternoon, one group and another fell now to comparing notes, and rehearsing the legends they had heard of Templeton and its inmates. And gradually a fellow-feeling made every one wondrous kind, and the little army of twenty in the prospect of to-morrow"s battles, drew together in bonds of self-defence, and felt all very like brothers.
Aspinall, however, who knew no one, and had not dared to join himself to any of the groups, paced in solitude at a distance, hoping for nothing better than that he might escape notice and be left to himself. But d.i.c.k, whose interest in him had become very decided, found him out before long and, much to his terror, insisted in introducing him to Heathcote and attaching him to their party.
"There"s nothing to be in a funk about, young "un," said he. "I know I don"t mean to funk it, whatever they do to me."
"I"ll back you up, old man, all I can," said Heathcote.
"I expect it"s far the best way not to kick out, but just go through with it," said d.i.c.k. "That"s what my father says, and he had a pretty rough time of it, he said, at first."
"Oh, _yes_; I"m sure it"s all the worse for a fellow if he funks or gets out of temper."
All this was very alarming talk for the timorous small boy to overhear, and he longed, a hundred times, to be safe back in Devonshire.
"I"m afraid," he faltered. "I know--I shall be a coward."
"Don"t be a young a.s.s," said d.i.c.k. "Heathcote and I will back you up all we can, won"t we, Georgie?"
"Rather," said Heathcote.
"If you do, it won"t be half so bad," said the boy, brightening up a bit; "it"s dreadful to be a coward."
"Well, why are you one?" said d.i.c.k. "No one"s obliged to be one."
"I suppose I can"t help it. I try hard."
"There goes the bell. I suppose that"s for us to go in," said d.i.c.k, as the summons once more sounded.
They found the matron with a list in her hand, which she proceeded to call over, bidding each boy answer to his name. The first twelve were the new boys of Westover"s house, and they included our two heroes and Aspinall, who were forthwith marched, together with their night apparel, across the court to their new quarters.
Here they were received by another matron, who presided over the wardrobes of the youth of Westover"s, and by her they were escorted to one of the dormitories, where, for that night at any rate, they were to be permitted to sleep in the comfort of one another"s society.
"New boys are to call on the Doctor after breakfast in the morning,"
announced she. "Breakfast at eight, and no morning chapel. Good- night!"
It was not long before the dormitory was silent. One by one, the tired boys dropped off, most of them with heavy hearts as they thought of the morrow.
Among the last was d.i.c.k, who, as he lay awake and went over, in his mind, the experiences of the day, was startled by what sounded very like a sob in the bed next to his.
He had half a mind to get up and go and say something to the dismal little Devonshire boy.
But on second thoughts he thought the kindest thing would be to let the poor fellow have his cry out, so he turned over and tried not to hear it; and while trying he fell asleep.
CHAPTER FOUR.
HOW OUR HEROES ARE PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES.
"The a.s.syrian came down like a wolf on the fold" early next day. The twenty innocent lambs whom, in the last chapter, we left sweetly folded in slumber had barely had time to arise and comb their hair when the advance-guard of the hungry tyrant appeared in their midst.
This was no other than a truck-load of trunks, portmanteaux, bags and hat-boxes sent up from the station, the owners of which, so the alarming rumour spread, were on the road.
It was an agitated meal our heroes partook of with the spectacle of that truck before their eyes, and many an anxious ear was p.r.i.c.ked for the first sound of the approaching horde.
But the horde, being aware that nothing was expected of it till mid-day, by no means saw the fun of surrendering its liberty at 10 o"clock, and went down to bathe in the harbour on the way up, so that the fate which impended was kept for two good hours in suspense.
Meanwhile, the interview with the Doctor was accomplished. It was not very alarming. Your new boy would sooner face twenty doctors than one hero of the middle Fifth. The head master asked a few kindly questions of each boy, and, so to speak, took stock of him before adding his name formally to the school list. He also added a few words of advice to the company generally, and enlightened them as to a few of the chief school rules. The others, he said, they would learn soon enough.
Whereat they all said, "Thank you, sir," and retired.
d.i.c.k and Heathcote, with young Aspinall in tow, walked back to Westover"s house together, and were nearly half-way there, when Aspinall suddenly clutched d.i.c.k"s arm and whispered--
"There"s one!"
They all stood still and gazed as if it was a spectre, not a human being, they expected.
What they really did see was a rather nice-looking boy of sixteen or seventeen lounging in at the great gateway, looking about him with a familiar air, and apparently bending his steps straight for Westover"s.
It was an awkward situation for our three new boys. Every step brought them nearer under the observation of the "a.s.syrian," and at every step they felt more awkward and abashed.
d.i.c.k did his best to put on a little swagger. He stuck one hand in his pocket, and twitched his hat a trifle on one side. Heathcote, too, instinctively let slip his jacket b.u.t.ton so as to betray his watch- chain, and laughed rather loudly at something which n.o.body said. Poor young Aspinall attempted no such demonstration, but slipped under the lee of his protectors, and wondered what would become of him.
The old boy and the new foregathered just at the door of Westover"s, and it was not till they actually stood face to face that the former gave any sign of being aware of the presence of the trio. He then honoured them with a casual survey as they stood back to let him enter first.
"New kids?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Westover"s?"
"Yes."
The hero grunted and pa.s.sed in, and they heard him shouting to the matron to ask if his traps had come from the station, and whether anybody had come yet.