Part 8 (2/2)

”Yes,” said Mr. Byrne, ”I think that's about it.”

”I think I should have been told this before,” said Geoff.

”Well,” said his uncle, ”I'm not sure but that I agree with you. But your mother wished to save you as long as she could. And you have not borne small annoyances so well that she could hope for much comfort from you in a great trouble.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU, GEOFF.”]

Geoff said nothing.

”I shall take care of your mother and sisters,” Mr. Byrne went on.

”I am not even to be allowed to work for my mother, then?” said Geoffrey.

”At your age it will be as much as you can do to work for yourself,”

said the old man. ”And as yet, you cannot even do that directly. You must go on with your education. I have found a school in the country where you will be well taught, and where you will not be annoyed by not being able to have all that your companions have, as you have so complained about.”

”And who is to pay for my schooling?” asked the boy.

”I,” replied Mr. Byrne.

”Thank you,” said Geoffrey. His tone was not exactly disrespectful, but it was certainly not grateful. ”I know I should thank you, but I don't want you to pay schooling or anything else for me. I shall manage for myself. It is much best for me to go away altogether. Even--even if this about our money hadn't happened, I was already making up my mind to it.”

Mr. Byrne looked at him.

”Legally speaking, your mother could stop your leaving her,” he said.

”She is not likely to do so,” replied the boy, ”if she is so ill that she cannot even see me.”

”Perhaps not,” said the old gentleman. ”I will send my servant to you at mid-day, to say how your mother is.”

”Thank you,” said Geoffrey again.

Then Mr. Byrne left the room, and Geoff went off to school.

He was in a strange state of mind. He hardly took in what he had been told of the state of his mother's money matters. He hardly indeed believed it, so possessed was he by the idea that there was a sort of plot to get rid of him.

”It isn't mother herself,” he reflected. ”It's all Elsa and Frances, and that horrid old Hoot-Toot. But as for going to any school _he'd_ send me to--no, thank you.”

He was standing about at noon with some of his companions, when the coloured servant appeared.

”Please, sir,” he said, ”I was to tell you that the lady is better--doctor say so;” and with a kind of salaam he waited to see what the young gentleman would reply.

”All right,” said Geoff, curtly; and the man turned to go.

Geoff did not see that at the gates he stood still a moment speaking to another man, who appeared to have been waiting for him.

”That young gentleman with the dark hair. You see plain when I speak to him,” he said in his rather broken English.

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