Part 33 (1/2)
”But surely there are really no fathers quite so absurd as old Kennion.
Does not Houghton exaggerate the type, as d.i.c.kens exaggerates all his types?”
”Oh no, he's real enough; I expect there are a good many like him living in Fernhurst now.”
The truth of the last remark was brought home three days later.
On the Friday before the debate Ferrers got a bad attack of influenza.
There would be no one to take the chair. Moved by an instinct of courtesy, Ferrers wrote to Christy a little note, enclosing the book, and asking him to preside.
On Sat.u.r.day morning Christy went up to Betteridge in break.
”Ah, Betteridge, Mr Ferrers has asked me to take the chair at the Stoics. Well, I myself would not be present when such a play was read.
It is aimed at the very roots of domestic morality. It might do very well in a small circle of Senior boys. But it would have a very serious effect on young boys who are not as mature as you or I are. None of my house will attend; and, from a conversation I had with Mr Rogers and Mr Claremont, I am fairly certain they will not allow their houses to go either. It would be really much better to wait until Mr Ferrers is well again before anything is done. It would be quite easy to postpone the meeting, I suppose.”
”Oh yes, sir, of course.”
Betteridge was not paying much attention: he was thinking hard. The bell for school rang.
”That will be all right then, Betteridge.”
”Quite, thank you, sir.”
Christy, bubbling with satisfaction, rushed off to tell the head of Buller's that the meeting had been postponed. Things were turning out well for him. He had obtained the beating of Caruthers, and now he had most distinctly scored off Ferrers. He did not stop to think that both these campaigns had been carried on behind his enemy's back.
But in his moment of triumph over Ferrers he did not pause to think whether he had also triumphed over the School House spirit of antagonism which he himself had stirred up.
During the half-hour between morning school and lunch, Betteridge, Tester and Gordon held a council of war.
”Of course, whatever we do,” said Betteridge, ”is bound to be in the nature of farce. Three houses, you see, won't turn up at all, Abercrombie's hardly ever sends anyone, and I don't mind betting that Christy gets round 'the Bull' somehow.”
”Yes; but, confound it all,” said Gordon, ”are we going to be dictated to by these outhouse potentates? The Stoics is more a School House society than anything else; and, what's more, it is going to remain so.
These outhouse men can come or go if they want to. It does not matter to us. Let us read this play with a School House cast, carry the thing through somehow, and show these fools like Christy what we think of them. Now is our chance of proving our independence.”
”Won't there be a h.e.l.l of a row, though?” said Betteridge reluctantly.
”What if there is, man?” said Gordon. ”We can't help that. Somehow or other that play is going to be read. Let this evening be a symbol of the House's att.i.tude. These houses have flung down the glove. They beat our forwards when we win matches, and they try and stop our meetings. d.a.m.n it, we'll pick up the glove!”
”Yes,” shouted Gordon, ”and fling it in their snivelling faces.”
Betteridge drew up a huge notice of the meeting after hall and posted it on the school board. It ran as follows:
In spite of the fact that many of the usual readers will be prevented from attending the Second Meeting of the Stoics this term, the Society will read, at seven-thirty, in the School House Reading Room,
_THE YOUNGER GENERATION_
BY STANLEY HOUGHTON
Cast ....