"About the worst thing you could do to the poor boy, Cherry," said Felix, "when he is only lying there trying to get his head quiet enough to let him sleep."
"Nor must you betray me," added John, smiling at poor conscience- stricken Cherry.
"And it is a mercy the fiddle is gone!" said Alda. "I used to hear him playing it somewhere among the out-houses in the spring, and it was enough to distract one, added to Theodore"s dronings."
"It must have been like parting with a bit of his life," sighed Cherry; "and yet Bernard would not mind him, and they did quarrel!"
"Boys who deal well with juniors at school do sometimes fail with little brothers," said John. "Besides, I observe that where there is pride there is always a distaste and dread of those who have much power of ridicule."
"I suspect, too," said Felix, "that Lance has made the turn in life when one gets superfluously earnest, and nothing so upsets influence.
I have felt it myself."
"So all this trouble and vexation has been weighing on the dear little fellow," said Wilmet. "No wonder he is not half so well as when he came home!"
"No," said Felix; "I wonder whether the Froggatts would let him come to them for a week or two, or whether it would be too dull to be good for him."
"If his mind were settled about the future, it would be rest rather than dullness," said John; "but I think a good deal of his trouble is caused by Manby"s verdict, and for that perhaps the best cure would be letting him have his wish."
"You, John!" exclaimed Felix; "I thought you would have put that out of his head!"
"On the contrary, he made me think there was a good deal in his arguments. First, as regards you, would he be of any real use?"
"Never mind that," said Felix. "I heard something to-day that would make it practicable; but I can"t have that boy wasted."
"The point is, what is waste? Now his strongest apt.i.tude never was for cla.s.sical work; and if he is not to touch a Latin book till Christmas, and then only cautiously, I do not see what chance he would have, even if Will were out of the way.
"And if not at Minsterham, so much the less anywhere else," said Wilmet. "Besides, it might be a dreadful risk if his head were to be overstrained."
"And in the meantime, the being kept here doing nothing, and vexing himself, is wearing his spirits, and hurting him more than any light occupation, especially what he felt to be a labour of love."
"That is quite true again," said Felix. "I quite believe he would be much happier if he began working with me to-morrow; but it might be letting a mere fit of impatience and despondency fix him for life in an uncongenial business."
"I thought you preferred it!" exclaimed Wilmet.
"Oh yes," said Felix, with a sort of half contempt in his tone; "but these boys of ours are a different sort of stuff, and we have seen that it will never answer to pin them down to plod."
"Lance would never be like Edgar!" exclaimed Wilmet; "as if Edgar ever thought of doing anything so unselfish in his life!"
"O Wilmet! indeed he _thought_!" cried Cherry.
"Yes, but always of five or six years hence!" said Wilmet.
"Lance is very like Edgar," said Felix. "He has what I believe belongs to the artist temperament; and that he is the bravest, the most uncomplaining little fellow I ever came across, and probably would never break off what he had begun, makes me the more anxious not to let this access of generosity--ay, and tedium--lead to taking any decided step while he is so young."
"When you come to artist temperament, I don"t understand," said Wilmet. "Lance doesn"t even draw anything like Cherry or Edgar--much good does that do! and as to his music, it would not be much of a living."
"I believe he thinks that the alternative," said John.
"For goodness" sake!" cried Alda, "he doesn"t want to get taken on in London! To have him singing and fiddling in public would be worse than anything. You put that out of his head, I hope, John. Even if he changed his name--"
"It never was in his head," said John. "He never thought of anything but his old line--Cathedral music: and the sacrifice to him is of that, not of the chance of the University."
"That"s not so bad," said Alda, "because it is a great chance whether any one ever heard of it."
"But I doubt if it be a very desirable life, as things are at present const.i.tuted," said John. "I am not sure that it is not better to give the musical talent freely for that service, than to make it one"s trade and livelihood."
"I think you are right there," said Felix. "I suppose there is always some degree of disenchantment."
"What did you say made his notion practicable?" said Wilmet.
"I"ve had Mr. Lamb with me this evening--"
"Mr. Bruce"s managing clerk," explained Wilmet to the Captain. "Does he want you to have Ernest?"
"Yes. He has missed the exhibition from the grammar-school; and as he can"t go to Oxford, fancies (deluded youth!) that he will get more reading in this line than any other. He is ready to give a premium with him, and spoke what Mr. Froggatt would call very handsomely about our house being one where he could trust him. I believe Mr.
Froggatt will be gratified, and accept him."
"Ernest Lamb--Serious mutton," repeated Cherry; "doesn"t he look very heavy?"
"Yes; he is bookish without being quick. I don"t expect he will be of much use just yet, but he is as steady as old Time; and though he and Lance would neither of them do alone, yet together I think we could get on."
"Then," said John, "does it not seem to you, Wilmet, that it would be a greater positive benefit to accept Lance"s offer for the present-- on trial, as one may say--than to leave him to the depression that is certainly doing him harm?"
"And if Lance was there," said Wilmet, "I should have some comfort that Felix would be properly looked after."
"Whatever happens," said Felix, I shall send Lance out to Marshlands for a fortnight, and see if he is in the same mind when he comes back. After all, it depends on Mr. Froggatt: and he will be afraid people will say we have turned in the whole Grammar-school behind the counter. I wonder if Lance is safe not to laugh in the old ladies"
faces when they ask--What number of what magazine, how many years ago, had a receipt for washing anti-maca.s.sars?"
By which they knew him to be very much exhilarated. That fortnight at Marshlands was not wasted. Lance had faculties for never being dull.
He pottered about with Mr. or Mrs. Froggatt, fed their chickens, gathered their apples and nuts, petted their cats, tried to teach words to their parrot and tricks to their dogs, played cribbage and back-gammon with them in the evening, never had a headache, never was at a loss or upon their hands, gained their hearts completely, and came home wonderfully benefited by the respite from noise and hara.s.s, and quite decided to stand by his proposal, to which the partners, with some hesitation, had finally acceded.
END