Part 17 (1/2)

Ten cables from where green meadows And quiet homes could be seen, No greater s.p.a.ce From peril to peace; But the savage sea between!

_Edwin Arnold_.

The Easter holidays at Roslyn lasted about ten days, and as most of the boys came from a distance, they usually spent them at school. Many of the ordinary rules were suspended during this time, and the boys were supplied every day with pocket money; consequently the Easter holidays pa.s.sed very pleasantly, and there was plenty of fun.

It was the great time for excursions all over the island, and the boys would often be out the whole day long among the hills, or about the coast. Eric enjoyed the time particularly, and was in great request among all the boys. He was now more gay and popular than ever, and felt as if nothing were wanting to his happiness. But this brilliant prosperity was not good for him, and he felt continually that he cared far less for the reproaches of conscience than he had done in the hours of his trial; sought far less for help from G.o.d than he had done when he was lonely and neglected.

He always knew that his great safeguard was the affection of Russell.

For Edwin's sake, and for shame at the thought of Edwin's disapproval, he abstained from many things into which he would otherwise have insensibly glided in conformation to the general looseness of the school morality. But Russell's influence worked on him powerfully, and tended to counteract a mult.i.tude of temptations.

Among other undesirable lessons Upton had taught Eric to smoke; and he was now one of those who often spent a part of their holidays in lurking about with pipes in their mouths at places where they were unlikely to be disturbed, instead of joining in some hearty and healthy game. When he began to ”learn” smoking, he found it anything but pleasant; but a little practice had made him an adept, and he found a certain amount of enjoyable excitement in finding out cosy places by the river, where he and Upton might go and lounge for an hour to enjoy the forbidden luxury.

In reality, he, like most boys, at first disliked the habit; but it seemed a fine thing to do, and to some, at any rate, it was a refuge from vacuity. Besides, they had a confused notion that there was something ”manly” in it, and it derived an additional zest from the stringency of the rules adopted to put it down.

So a number of the boys smoked, and some few of them to such excess as seriously to injure their health, and form a habit which they could never afterwards abandon.

One morning of the Easter holidays, Eric, Montagu, and Russell started for an excursion down the coast to Rilby Head. As they pa.s.sed through Ellan, Eric was deputed to go and buy Easter eggs and other provisions, as they did not mean to be back for dinner. In about ten minutes he caught up the other two, just as they were getting out of the town.

”What an age you've been, buying a few Easter eggs,” said Russell, laughing; ”have you been waiting till the hens laid?”

”No; they're not the _only_ things I've got.”

”Well, but you might have got all the grub at the same shop.”

”Ay; but I've procured a more refined article. Guess what it is.”

The two boys didn't guess, and Eric said, to enlighten them, ”Will you have a whiff, Monty?”

”A whiff! Oh! I see you've been wasting your tin on cigars--alias, rolled cabbage-leaves. O fumose puer!”

”Well, will you have one?”

”If you like,” said Montagu, wavering; ”but I don't much care to smoke.”

”Well, _I_ shall, at any rate,” said Eric, keeping off the wind with his cap, as he lighted a cigar, and began to puff.

They strolled on in silence; the smoking didn't promote conversation, and Russell thought that he had never seen his friend look so ridiculous, and entirely unlike himself, as he did while strutting along with the weed in his mouth. The fact was, Eric didn't guess how much he was hurting Edwin's feelings, and he was smoking more to ”make things look like the holidays,” by a little bravado, than anything else. But suddenly he caught the expression of Russell's face, and instantly said--

”Oh, I forgot, Edwin; I know you don't like smoking,” and he instantly flung the cigar over the hedge, being really rather glad to get rid of it. With the cigar, he seemed to have flung away the affected manner he displayed just before, and the spirits of all three rose at once.

”It isn't that I don't _like_ smoking only, Eric, but I think it wrong-- for _us_ I mean.”

”Oh, my dear fellow! surely there can't be any harm in it. Why, everybody smokes.”

”It may be all very well for men, although I'm not so sure of that.

But, at any rate, it does nothing but harm to growing boys. You know yourself what harm it does in every way.”

”Oh, it's a mere school rule against it. How can it be wrong? Why, I even know clergymen who smoke.”

Montagu laughed. ”Well, clergymen ain't immaculate,” said he; ”but I have seldom met a man yet who didn't tell you that he was _sorry_ he'd acquired the habit.”