Part 31 (2/2)

”Never mind, Toady Lion,” he said genially, ”the truth is, I was a little tired myself to-day. I promise not to keep you quite so long next Sunday morning. You must remind me if I transgress. n.o.body will, if you don't, Toady Lion.”

”Doan know what 'twansguess' is--but shall call out loud if you goes on too long--telling out sermons and textises and fings.”

As they walked along the High Street of Edam, Prissy glanced reverently at the Provost.

”Oh, I wish I could have been a peacemaker too, like him,” she sighed, ”and then Mr. Burnham might have preached about me. Perhaps I will when I grow up.”

For next to Saint Catherine of Siena, the Provost was her ideal of a peacemaker.

As they walked homeward, Mr. Burnham came and touched Prissy on the shoulder.

”Money cannot buy love,” he said, somewhat sententiously, ”but you, my dear, win it by loving actions.”

He turned to Toady Lion, who was trotting along somewhat sulkily, holding his sister's hand, and grumbling because he was not allowed to chase b.u.t.terflies on Sunday.

”Arthur George,” said Mr. Burnham, ”if anybody was to give you a piece of money and say, 'Will you love me for half-a-crown,' you couldn't do it, could you?”

”Could just, though!” contradicted Toady Lion flatly, kicking at the stones on the highway.

”Oh no,” his instructor suavely explained, ”if it were a bad person who asked you to love him, you wouldn't love him for half-a-crown, surely!”

Toady Lion turned the matter over.

”Well,” he said, speaking slowly as if he were thinking hard between the words, ”it might have to be five sillin's if he was _very_ bad!”

CHAPTER x.x.xVI.

HUGH JOHN'S WAY-GOING.

The secret which had oppressed society after the return of Mr. Picton Smith from London, being revealed, was that Hugh John and Sammy Carter were both to go to school. For a while it appeared as if the foundations of the world had been undercut--the famous fellows.h.i.+p of n.o.ble knights disbanded, Prissy and Cissy, ministering angel and wild tomboy, alike abandoned to the tender mercies of mere governesses.

Strangest of all to Prissy was the indubitable fact that Hugh John wanted to go. At the very first mention of school he promptly forgot all about his n.o.blest military ambitions, and began oiling his cricket bat and kicking his football all over the green. Mr. Burnham was anxious about his pupil's Latin and more than doubtful about his Vulgar Fractions; but the General himself was chiefly bent on improving his round arm bowling, and getting that break from the left down to a fine point.

Every member of the household was more or less disturbed by the coming exodus--except Sir Toady Lion. On the last fateful morning that self-contained youth maundered about as usual among his pets, carrying to and fro saucers of milk, dandelion leaves cut small, and other dainties--though Hugh John's boxes were standing corded and labelled in the hall, though Prissy was crying herself sick on her bed, and though there was even a dry hard lump high up in the great hero's own manly throat.

His father was giving his parting instructions to his eldest son.

”Work hard, my boy,” he said. ”Tell the truth, never tell tales, nor yet listen to them. Mind your own business. Don't fight, if you can help it; but if you have to, be sure you get home with your left before the other fellow. Practise your bowling, the batting will practise itself. And when you play golf, keep your eye on the ball.”

”I'll try to play up, father,” said Hugh John, ”and anyway I won't be 'dasht-mean'!”

His father was satisfied.

Then it was Prissy who came to say good-bye. She had made all sorts of good resolutions, but in less than half a minute she was bawling undisguisedly on the hero's neck. And as for the hero--well, we will not say what he was doing, something most particularly unheroic at any rate.

Janet Sheepshanks hovered in the background, saying all the time, ”For shame, Miss Priscilla, think shame o' yoursel'--garring the laddie greet like that when he's gaun awa'!”

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