And to the two brothers, far away, and lonely even among their schoolfellows, it came like a breath of fresh air that morning.
"I have been so proud," went on Mrs Greenfield towards the end of the letter, "ever since I heard of dear Oliver"s success in winning the scholarship. Not so much for the value of it, though that is pretty considerable, but because I am so sure he deserves it."
"Hear, hear!" put in Stephen.
"Poor Mr Wraysford! I hope he is not very much disappointed. How nice it would have been if there had been two scholarships, and each could have had one! I suppose the Fifth is making quite a hero of Oliver. I know one foolish old woman who would like to be with her boys this moment to share their triumph."
Oliver laughed bitterly.
"That _would_ be a treat for her!"
Stephen, very red in the face, was too furious for words, so Oliver went on:
"And if, instead of triumph, they should ever be in trouble or sorrow, still more would I love to be with them, to share it. But most of all do I trust and pray they may both make a constant friend of the Saviour, who wants us all to cast our burdens on Him, and follow the example He has left us in all things."
There was a silence for some moments after this home message fell on the brothers" ears. The hearts of both were full--too full for words--but I think, had the widow-mother far away been able to divine the secret thoughts of her boys, hope would have mingled with all her pity and all her solicitude on their account.
But the old trouble, for the present at any rate, was destined to swamp all other emotions.
Oliver continued reading: "Christmas will not be so very long now in coming. We must have a real snug, old-fashioned time of it here. Uncle Henry has promised to come, and your cousins. It would be nice if you could persuade Mr Wraysford to come here then. I am so anxious to see him again. Tell him from me I reckon on him to be one of our party if he can possibly manage it."
"Baa!" exclaimed Stephen. "The beast! I"ll let her know what sort of blackguard the fellow is!"
"Easy all, young "un," said Oliver.
"I shan"t easy all, Noll!" exclaimed the boy; "he _is_ a blackguard, you know he is, and I hate him."
"I think he"s a fool just now," said Oliver, "but--well, he fished you out of the Thames, Stee; you oughtn"t to call him a blackguard."
"I wish he"d left me in the Thames," said Stephen, nearly breaking down.
"I"ve been miserable enough this term for half a dozen."
Oliver looked hard and long at his young brother. It never seemed to have occurred to him before how deeply the boy took the trouble of his elder brother to heart.
Now if Oliver had really been innocent, the natural thing would have been--wouldn"t it?--for him to be quite cut up at this exhibition of feeling, and fall on his brother"s neck and protest once more that he never did or would or could do such a thing as that he was suspected of.
But instead of this, the hardened villain turned quite cross when he saw his brother at the point of tears, and exclaimed, hurriedly, "Don"t make a young fool of yourself, Stee, whatever you do. It won"t do a bit of good."
"But, Noll, old man," pleaded the boy, "why ever don"t you--"
"Because I don"t choose, and it would be no use if I did," retorted the other.
"But the fellows all suspect you!"
"I can"t help that, if they do. Come now, Stee, we"ve had enough of this. It"ll all come right some day, you see, and meanwhile what do you say to a turn in the gymnasium?"
"Well, but," persisted Stephen, not half satisfied, "you surely aren"t going to give mother"s message to Wraysford? _I_ don"t want him home at Christmas."
"No one asked you if you did, you young duffer. But I don"t think, all the same, I shall give it just yet."
They were walking down the big pa.s.sage arm-in-arm in the direction of the gymnasium, and as Oliver spoke these last words the subject of their conversation appeared advancing towards them.
Who could have believed that those three friends who only a month or two ago were quoted all over Saint Dominic"s as inseparables could ever meet and pa.s.s one another as these three met and pa.s.sed one another now?
Wraysford coloured as he caught sight of his old ally, and looked another way. Oliver, more composed, kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, and appeared to be completely unconscious of the presence of any one but Stephen, who hung on to his arm, snorting and fuming and inwardly raging like a young tiger held in by the chain from his prey.
An odd meeting indeed, and a miserable one; yet to none of the three so miserable as to the injured Wraysford, who ever since the day of the Nightingale examination had not known a happy hour at Saint Dominic"s.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
MR CRIPPS AT SAINT DOMINIC"S.
Oliver Greenfield"s banishment from civilised society, however much it may have gratified the virtuous young gentlemen of the Fifth, was regarded by a small section of fellows in the Sixth with unmitigated disgust. These fellows were the leading spirits of the Saint Dominic Football Club, which was just about to open proceedings for the season.
To them the loss of the best half-back in the school was a desperate calamity.
They raged and raved over the matter with all the fury of disappointed enthusiasts. _They_ didn"t care a bit, it almost seemed, whether the fellow was a cheat or not. All they knew was, he was the quickest half-back and the safest drop-kick the school had, and here was the match with Landfield coming on, and, lo and behold! their man was in Coventry, forsooth, and not to be had out for love or money. Thus baulked, the Sixth Form athletes could afford to wax very virtuous and philanthropic on the subject of Coventry generally.
"The Doctor ought to put a stop to it," said Stansfield, who this year occupied the proud position of captain of the fifteen.
"Why, we"ve not got a single man worth twopence behind the scrimmage!"
This was gratifying for Loman, one of the council of war, who usually played quarter or half-back in the matches.
"I don"t see why we shouldn"t get him to play if he _is_ at Coventry,"
said Callonby; "_we_ didn"t send him there."
"All very well," said the captain; "if we got him we should lose Ricketts, and Bullinger, and Tom Senior, and Braddy, which would come to about the same thing."
"And I shouldn"t play either," said Loman, "if Greenfield played."
Stansfield shrugged his shoulders and looked vicious.
"All child"s play!" said he. "They think it"s very grand and a fine spectacle and all that. But they ought to have more consideration for the credit of the school."
"It"s not much to the credit of the school," said Loman, "to have a fellow like him in the fifteen."
"It"s less credit to have a pack of louts who tumble head over heels every time they try to pick up a ball, and funk a charge twice out of every thrice!" retorted Stansfield, who was one of the peppery order.
"Greenfield"s worth any half-dozen of you, I tell you."
"Better get him to play Landfield by himself," growled Loman, who generally got the worst of it in discussions like this.
"It"s a plaguey nuisance, that"s what it is," said Stansfield; "we are sure to get licked. Who"s to play half-back instead of him, I"d like to know?"
"Forrester, in the Fourth, plays a very good half-back," said Callonby; "he"s tremendously quick on his feet."
"Yes, but he can"t kick. I"ve a good mind to put Wraysford in the place. And yet he"s such a rattling steady "back" I don"t like to move him."
"Wraysford told me yesterday," said Wren, "he wasn"t going to play."