And he gave himself over to the extreme of misery, and sat staring at the wall until the twelve bell rang, and Oliver and Wraysford broke in on his solitude.
"Hullo, young "un; in the dumps? Never mind; you"ll be used to it in a day or two, won"t he, Wray?"
"Of course you will," said Wraysford, cheerily; "it"s hard lines at first. Keep your p.e.c.k.e.r up, young "un."
The young "un, despite this friendly advice, felt very far from keeping up his p.e.c.k.e.r. But he did his best, and worked his face into a melancholy sort of a smile.
"Fish us my spike shoes out of that cupboard, Stee, there"s a good fellow," said Oliver, "and come along to the cricket-field. There"s a big practice on this afternoon."
Stephen hesitated.
"I"ve got to do my exam before ten to-morrow. Some one brought me up the paper and said so. Perhaps I"d better stop here and do it?"
"I thought you weren"t to be had up till the Doctor came back. Who brought you the paper? I suppose it was Jellicott, the second master?"
"I suppose so," said Stephen, who had never heard of Mr Jellicott in his life before.
"Let"s have a look at it," said the elder brother.
"I promised I wouldn"t."
"Oh, all serene; I only wanted to see the questions. It"s a new dodge giving papers, isn"t it, Wray? We were examined _viva voce_ in the Doctor"s study. Well, come on, old man, or we shall be late. You"ll have lots of time for that this evening."
And off they went, the wretched Stephen wrestling mentally with his problems all the while.
Of course, profound reader, you have made the brilliant discovery by this time that Master Stephen Greenfield was a very green boy. So were you and I at his age; and so, after all, we are now. For the more we think we know, the greener we shall find we are; that"s a fact!
CHAPTER FOUR.
f.a.gGING.
There is a queer elasticity about boys which no one, least of all themselves, can account for. A quarter of an hour after the big practice had begun Stephen had forgotten all about his examination, and could think of nothing but cricket.
As he sat cross-legged on the gra.s.s among half a dozen youngsters like himself, he even began to forget that he was a new boy, and was surprised to find himself holding familiar converse with one and another of his companions.
"Well bowled, sir!" shouted Master Paul, as a very swift ball from Ricketts took Bullinger"s middle stump clean out of the ground--"rattling well bowled! I say," he added, turning round; "if Ricketts bowls like that to-day week, the others will be nowhere."
"Oh," said Stephen, to whom this remark seemed to be addressed.
Master Paul looked sharply round.
"Hullo, young "un, is that you? Jolly good play, isn"t it? Who are you for, A or Z?"
"What do you mean?"
"Mean? Do you back the A"s or the Z"s? that"s what I mean. Oh, I suppose you don"t twig, though. A to M, you know, against N to Z."
"Oh," said Stephen, "I back the A to M"s, of course; my brother is in that half."
"So he is--isn"t that him going in now? Yes; you see if Ricketts doesn"t get him out in the first over!"
Stephen watched most eagerly and anxiously. They were not playing a regular game, only standing up to be bowled at in front of the nets, or fielding at fixed places; but each ball, and each hit, and each piece of fielding, was watched and applauded as if a victory depended on it, for out of those playing to-day the two elevens for the Alphabet match were to be chosen; and out of those two elevens, as every one knew, the School eleven, which would play the County in June, was to be selected.
Oliver, despite Paul"s prophecy, stood out several overs of Rickett"s, and Loman"s, and the school captain"s, one after the other, cutting some of their b.a.l.l.s very hard, and keeping a very steady guard over his wicket. At last a ball of Loman"s got past him and snicked off his bails.
Stephen looked inquiringly round at Paul, and then at the small knot of Sixth fellows who were making notes of each candidate"s play.
"He"s all right," said Paul; "I guess Raleigh," (that was the school captain) "didn"t fancy his b.a.l.l.s being licked about like that. Never mind--there goes Braddy in."
And so the practice went on, each candidate for the honour of a place in the eleven submitting to the ordeal, and being applauded or despised according as he acquitted himself. Wraysford, of course, came out of the trial well, as he always did.
"I declare, the Fifth could lick the Sixth this year, Tom," said Pembury to Tom Senior, as they sat together looking on.
"I"m sure they could; I hope we challenge them."
Just then a Sixth Form fellow strolled up to where the speakers were standing.
"I say, Loman," said Pembury, "we were just saying our men could lick yours all to fits. Don"t you think so yourself?"
"Can"t say I do; but you are such a wonderful lot of heroes, you Fifth, that there"s no saying what you couldn"t do if you tried," replied Loman, with a sneer.
"But you take such precious good care we shall not try, that"s just it,"
said Pembury, winking at his companion. "Never mind, we"ll astonish you some day," growled the editor of the _Dominican_ as he hobbled away.
Loman strolled up to where the small boys were sitting.
"Which of you is young Greenfield?" he said.
"I am," said Stephen, promptly.
"Run with this letter to the post, then, and bring me back some stamps while you are there, and get tea ready for two in my study by half-past six--do you hear?"
And off he went, leaving Stephen gaping at the letter in his hand, and quite bewildered as to the orders about tea.
Master Paul enjoyed his perplexity.
"I suppose you thought you were going to get off f.a.gging. I say, you"ll have to take that letter sharp, or you"ll be late."
"Where"s the post-office?"
"About a mile down Maltby Road. Look here, as you are going there, get me a pound of raisins, will you?--there"s a good chap. We"ll square up to-night."
Stephen got up and started on his errands in great disgust.
He didn"t see why he was to be ordered about and sent jobs for the other boys, just at a time, too, when he was enjoying himself. However, it couldn"t be helped.
Three or four fellows stopped him as he walked with the letter in his hand to the gates.