Part 2 (1/2)
”Well, sir, have you found them?” asked Thomas, entering.
”No, Thomas,” replied I dolefully, ”nor ever shall, I fear; but will you go to 'Dr. Mildman, and tell him, with my respects, that I cannot get up to breakfast this morning, and, if he asks what is the matter with me, say that I am prevented from coming down by _severe cold_. I am sure that is true enough,” added I, s.h.i.+vering.
”Well, sir, I will, if you wish it; but I don't exactly see the good of it; you _must_ get up some time or other.”
”I don't know,” replied I gloomily, ”we shall see; only do you take my message.”
And he accordingly left the room, muttering as he did so, ”Well, I calls this a great deal too bad, and I'll tell master of it myself, if n.o.body else won't”.
”Tell master of it himself!”--he also suspected him then. This crushed my last faint hope that, after all, it might turn out to be only a trick of the pupils; and, overpowered by the utter vileness and depravity of him who was set in authority over me, I buried my face in the pillow, feeling a strong inclination to renew the lamentations of the preceding night. Not many minutes had elapsed when the sound of a heavy footstep slowly ascending the stairs attracted my attention. I raised my head, and beheld the benevolent countenance (for even then it certainly did wear a benevolent expression) of my wicked tutor, regarding me with a mingled look of scrutiny and pity.
”Why, Fairlegh, what's all this?--Thomas tells me you are not able to come down to breakfast; you are not ill, I hope?”
”No, sir,” replied I, ”I don't think I am very ill, but I _can't_ come down to breakfast.”
”Not ill, and yet you can't come down to breakfast! pray, what in the world prevents you?”
”Perhaps,” said I (for I was becoming angry at what I considered his unparalleled effrontery, and thought I would give him a hint that he could not deceive me so easily as he seemed to expect), ”perhaps you can tell that better than I can.”
-17--”I, my boy!--I'm afraid not; my pretensions to the t.i.tle of doctor are based on divinity, not physic:--however, put out your tongue--that's right enough; let me feel your hand--a little cold or so, but nothing to signify; did this kind of seizure ever happen to you at home?”
Well, this was adding insult to injury with a vengeance; not content with stealing my clothes himself, but actually asking me whether such things did not happen at home! The wretch! thought I; does he suppose that everybody is as wicked as himself?
”No,” I answered, my voice trembling with the anger I was scarcely able to repress; ”no, sir, such a thing never could happen in my dear father's house.”
”There, don't agitate yourself; you seem excited: perhaps you _had_ better lie in bed a little longer; I will send you up something warm, and after that you may feel more inclined to get up,” said he kindly, adding to himself, as he left the room, ”Very strange boy--I can't make him out at all”.
The door closed, and I was once more alone. ”Is he guilty or not guilty?” thought I; ”if he really has taken the clothes, he is the most accomplished hypocrite I ever heard of; yet he _must_ have done so, everything combines to prove it--Thomas's speech--nay, even his own offer of sending me 'something warm'; something warm, indeed! what do I want with anything warm, except my trousers? No! the fact was beyond dispute; they were gone, and he had stolen them, whilst I, unhappy youth, was entirely in his power, and had not therefore a chance of redress. 'But I will not bear it,' cried I, 'I'll write to my father--I'll run away--I'll------'”
”Hurrah!” shouted Thomas, rus.h.i.+ng into the room with his arm full of clothes, ”here they are, sir; I have found the whole kit of them at last.”
”Where?” exclaimed I eagerly.
”Where? why in such a queer place!” replied he, ”stuffed up the chimbley in master's study; but I have given them a good brus.h.i.+ng, and they are none the worse for it, except them blessed white ducks; they are almost black ducks now, though they will wash, so that don't signify none.”
”Up the chimney, in master's study!” here was at last proof positive; my clothes had been actually found in his possession--oh, the wickedness of this world!
”But how did you ever find them?” asked I.
”Why! I happened to go in to fetch something, and I see'd a little bit of the leg of one of them hanging down -18--the chimbley, so I guessed how it all was, directly. I think I know how they got there, too; they did not walk there by themselves, I should say.”
”I wish they had,” muttered I.
”I thought _somebody_ was up too early this morning to be about any good,” continued he; ”he is never out of bed till the last moment, without there's some mischief in the wind.”
This was pretty plain speaking, however. Thomas was clearly as well aware of his master's nefarious practices as the pupils themselves, and Lawless's amiable desire to conceal Dr. Mildman's sins from his servant's knowledge was no longer of any avail. I hastened, therefore (the only reason for silence being thus removed), to relieve my mind from the burden of just indignation which was oppressing it.
”And can you, Thomas,” exclaimed I, with flas.h.i.+ng eyes, ”remain the servant of a man who dares thus to outrage every law, human and divine?
one who having taken upon himself the sacred office of a clergyman of the Church of England, and so made it his especial duty to set a good example to all around him, can take advantage of the situation in which he is placed in regard to his pupils, and actually demean himself by purloining the clothes of the young men” (I felt five-and-twenty at the very least at that moment) ”committed to his charge?--why, my father------”