Part 24 (1/2)

”Here, take my arm,” he said; and as Wildney grasped it tight, instead of feeling angry and ashamed at having been misled by one so much his junior, Eric felt strongly drawn towards him by community of danger and interest. Reaching Ellan, it suddenly struck him that he did not know where they were going to buy the beer. He asked Wildney.

”Oh, I see you're not half up to snuff,” said Wildney, whose courage had risen; ”I'll show you.”

He led to a little low public-house, whence tipsy songs were booming, and tapped at a side door three times. As they looked in they saw some sailors boozing in a dirty taproom, and enveloped in tobacco smoke.

The side door was opened, and a cunning man held up a light to see who they were.

”Hallo, Billy,” said Wildney confidentially, ”all serene; give us two bottles of beer--on tick, you know.”

”Yessir--d'reckly,” said the man, with a hateful twinkle of the eyes.

”So you're out for a spree,” he continued, winking in a knowing way.

”Won't you walk into the back parlour while I get them?” And he showed them into a dingy horrid room behind the house, stale with smoke, and begrimed with dust.

Eric was silent and disgusted, but Wildney seemed quite at home. The man soon returned with the beer. ”Wouldn't you like a gla.s.s of summat now, young gen'leman?” he asked in an insinuating way.

”No, Billy! don't jabber--we must be off. Here, open the door.”

”Stop, I'll pay,” said Eric. ”What's the damage?”

”Three s.h.i.+lling, sir,” said the man. ”Glad to see a new customer, sir.”

He pocketed the money and showed them out, standing to look after them with a malicious leer as they disappeared, and jerking his left thumb over his shoulder.

”Faugh!” said Eric, taking a long breath as they got out again into the moonlight, ”what a poisonous place! Good gracious, Charlie, who introduced you there?”

”Oh, I don't think much of going _there_,” said Wildney carelessly; ”we go every week almost.”

”We! who?”

”Oh, Brigson and a lot of us. We have a club there which we call 'the Anti-m.u.f.fs,' and that's our smoking-room.”

”And is that horrid beast the landlord?”

”Yes; he was an old school-servant, and there's no harm in him that I know of.”

But Eric only ”phewed” again two or three times, and thought of Montagu.

Suddenly Wildney clutched him by the arm, and pulled him into the deep shadow of a porch, whispering in a low tone, ”Look!”

Under a lamp-post directly opposite them, stood Mr Rose. He had heard voices and footsteps a moment before, and, puzzled at their sudden cessation in the noiseless street, he was looking round.

”We must run for it,” whispered Wildney hastily, as Mr Rose approached the porch; and the two boys took to their heels, and scampered away as hard as they could, Eric helping on Wildney by taking his hand, and neither of them looking behind. They heard Mr Rose following them at first, but soon distanced him, and reached a place where two roads met, either of which would lead to the school.

”We won't go by the road; I know a short cut by the fields. What fun!”

said Wildney, laughing.

”What an audacious little monkey you are; you know all sorts of dodges,”

said Eric.