CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
It was very different to be a prisoner now alone. I longed for Mercer'scompanionship, but it was so that I might punish him for what I againand again called his miserable cowardice, which seemed to me to make hiscrime ten times worse. And so I walked up and down the little roomrestlessly, thinking over the times when my school-fellow had talkedabout the watch, and his intense longing to possess it, or such a one.
Nothing could be plainer. He had given way at last, and taken it onthat unlucky day when he was hanging about talking to me as I lay on thegrass with my head throbbing, and then walking away toward the tent orto where he could get a good look at the cricketers.
"Too much for him," I said,--"too much for him, and I am to take thecredit of his theft. But I will not. If he is such a mean coward as tolet me take his stealing on my shoulders, he is not worth sparing, andhe shall take the credit for himself--upon his own shoulders and notmine."
"Oh, what an ass I have been ever to make friends with such a fellow!"I cried, after a pause. "I ought to have known better. Never mind, Ido know better now, and to-morrow morning I'll ask to see the Doctor,and I'll tell him everything, and--get him expelled!"
That set me thinking once more about his people at home, and as I did, Ibegan to waver, and call to mind how terrible it would be, and that Iliked him too well in spite of all.
For I did like him. I had never had a brother, and he had seemed tofill his place, so that now, for the first time, I fully understood howwe two lads had become knit together, and how terribly hard it would beto speak out.
I sat down by the window at last, to let the cool breeze play upon myaching temples, and as I leaned my head against the side, the cheeryvoices of the boys in the field floated up to me, to make me morewretched still.
"It's nothing to them," I said to myself. "Nobody there cares, and Eelyand Dicksee were only too glad to have their revenge upon me. I don'tknow, though," I said; "they both thought I took the watch, and believedall they said. But it was a triumph for them."
I sat thinking.
"I wonder what Lomax will say? Will he believe that I am a commonthief?
"What is Tom doing now? Out at play, I suppose, and glorying in hisescape. He knows I would not be such a sneak as to tell, and thinks Ishall bear it all patiently--too ready to spare him, or too cowardly tosay a word."
I was interrupted by steps, and in my misery I hoped that they wouldpass the door, but a key was thrust in, and I caught a glimpse of MrRebble, who waited outside while one of the maids brought in my tea on atray,--a plain mug, and a plate of bread and butter; then she gave me alook of commiseration, making my cheeks burn, as I wondered whether sheknew that I was shut up because people thought I was a thief, and unfitto associate with the other boys. But no word was spoken; she passedout, the door was shut and locked, and I rested my aching head once moreagainst the side of the window, the very sight of food making me feeldisgust; and there I stayed for how long I cannot say, but at last Istarted up, puzzled and wondering, to find that I must have droppedasleep, regularly wearied out, and that it was growing dusk, and themoon, like a thin curved streak, was sailing down in the faint glow ofthe heavens, not far from where the sun had gone.
I shivered a little, for I was cold, but my head was better, and I beganto go over the events of the afternoon again, wondering whether theDoctor would send for me in the morning, to say that Mercer hadconfessed, and that he was glad to be able once more to take me by thehand.
Just then I heard a faint sigh, apparently coming up from the garden,and I involuntarily looked down, but could see nothing.
The sigh rose again, and now I was able to locate it in a clump ofevergreens at the edge of the lawn. But I could see nothing save greenleaves; and started again and drew back a little a few minutes later, asthe sigh was again repeated, this time followed by a faint whisper, andI heard my name.
"Frank--Frank Burr. Hist!"
"Yes; who called?" I said.
"Me. Can't you hear? Tom--Tom Mercer."
I was silent, and stood, feeling hot and angry, gazing down into thegrounds.
"Frank!" came up again. "I say!"
I remained silent.
"Have you got any string? Let a piece down."
I knew what that meant. He had been to the kitchens and was going tosend me up some supper. In other words, he was going to try and smoothover his despicable behaviour.
"A coward! A sneak! I hate him!" I muttered, as I stood there closeto the window, as if unable to drag myself away, but listening greedilyall the while, as Mercer went on in an excited whisper, insulting me, asI called it.
"Oh, I say, do speak, Frank," he said. "I can't stop long, and there'dbe a row if any one knew I came to you. I am so sorry, Frank. I'vebeen down to Polly Hopley's, and bought a lot of her turnovers and somesweet tuck. I want to send it up to you. Haven't you any string?"
I made no reply.
"Frank! I say: I know: tear up your handkerchiefs. I'll give you someof mine to make up. Tie the bits together so as to make a long string,and let it down. Frank!"
"Go away, you miserable, cowardly sneak!" I cried passionately; "andnever dare to speak to me again."
He was silent for a few minutes, as if stunned by my fierce words. Thenhe began again.
"Oh, I say," he whispered, "don't turn on a chap like that when he wasgoing to stick to you. I couldn't help it."
I knew that the temptation had been too strong for him, but I was nonethe less bitter against him, and my wrath reached its climax soon after,when he said eagerly,--
"I say, Frank, I am indeed so sorry! and I'd have said it was I did it,if it would have got you off; but they wouldn't have believed me."
_Bang_!
That was the window, which, in my passion at his coolness, I shut downwith all my might, and then went and threw myself on the bed, with myhead aching violently, and the sensation of misery increasing, so thatat times I felt as if I must try and break open the door, creep down inthe night, and run away somewhere--anywhere, so as to end the trouble Iwas in.
I never knew when, but I suppose the throbbing in my head must havelulled a little, and I once more dropped off to sleep, to wake up with astart in the darkness, wondering where I was, and whether I had beenhaving a confused dream about a watch being stolen, and some one gettinginto trouble. Who it was I could not quite tell, for my head ached, Ifelt sick, and everything was confused and strange.
While I was trying hard to collect myself, I suppose I must have droppedto sleep again, for when I next opened my eyes, the sun was shiningbrightly, and, light-hearted and eager, I jumped off the bed to run andopen the window, but, as my feet touched the floor, memory began to comeback with its heavy load of misery.
Why was I dressed even to my boots? Why was I in a fresh room? Wherewas Tom Mercer?
The answers to my questions came, and I stood there with a sinkingsensation of misery, increasing moment by moment, till with a sigh Iroused myself a little and went toward the window.
"Where is Tom Mercer?" I said to myself again, with a bitter laugh."Safe, and I am to take the blame for his miserable acts. Where's TomMercer?"
I was opening the window as I spoke, and there he was hiding behind aclump of Portugal laurel, where he had been watching, quite ready tospring up eagerly now, and begin to make signs, as he showed me a schoolbag with something heavy inside.
I knew what it meant, of course, but the bitter feeling against him wastoo intense for me to accept aid in any form, and I drew back withoutnoticing him further; and, as I did so, my head felt clearer for mynight's rest, and I began to see the course that was open to me.
I could not turn upon Tom and become his accuser, for, if the crime wasbrought home to him, it would be terrible, and I knew I should neverforgive myself for saving my own credit by denouncing my companion. No;I had fully made up my mind, in those few minutes since rising, to denyfirmly and defiantly the charge of taking
the watch. Even if theyexpelled me, and I was sent away, they might call it in disgrace, but itwould not be. And even if Doctor Browne and the masters believed meguilty, I knew there was some one at home who would take my word atonce, indignant at such a charge being brought against me.
Yes, that was my course, plain enough: to maintain my innocence firmly,but to say no more. They might find out about Tom Mercer. I would notbetray him.
A stubborn feeling of determination came over me now, and all seemed tobe as plain as could be. I was actually beginning to wonder that Ishould have taken it all so much to heart. "She will believe me," Isaid; "and they will have to at last."
I had just arrived at this point in reasoning out my position, when Iwas brought to a sudden check by a fresh thought--one which made me turncold. It was, "What will uncle say?"
I was thrown back into a state of the greatest misery again directly bythis. For my uncle was so stern a disciplinarian that in advance I sawwith horror the impression such a charge hanging over me would make uponone who had so often impressed upon me the duties of him who would growup to be a gentleman, and who was to occupy the position of an officerin a gallant service.
"Shall I dare to hold out?" I asked myself; "shall I be able to clearmyself without accusing Tom?"
I started, for there was a thud at my window, as if something moderatelysoft had struck the frame.
But I could see nothing, and I was sinking back into my musing fitagain, when something struck me on the back, and then fell with a dullsound upon the floor and rolled under the wash-stand.
I stooped and picked it up, to find that it was one of the solidindiarubber balls we used for our games at rounders, and tightlyfastened around it was a piece of thin twine, the strong, light stringwe used for kites. The twine hung out of the window, and I knew thatMercer had thrown it up, and the second time sent it right in at theopen sash,--no difficult task for him, as he was one of the most skilfulthrowers we had in the school, and he could generally hit a boy runningfast when we were engaged in a game, while at cricket, the way in whichhe could field a ball, and send it up to the wicket-keeper, made him aspecial acquisition in a game.
"I'm not going to be bribed into silence!" I cried; "I'd soonerstarve;" and, going quickly to the window, I hurled the ball down,before drawing back, and then approaching the opening again to peer downfrom behind one of the white dimity curtains, where, unseen myself, Icould watch Mercer slowly winding up the string till the indiarubberball reached his hands, when, after a doleful look up, he ducked downbehind the bushes with the school bag and walked cautiously away.