CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
I was up in good time next morning, to find that Tom Mercer wasbeforehand with me, waiting in the shrubbery, and making signs now assoon as he saw me; but I turned away, and with a disconsolate look, hedropped down among the bushes, and crouched where he would be screened.
He disappeared at breakfast-time, but he was back there before dinner,and for a time after, but he suddenly rushed away, and I supposed thatsome of the boys were coming round to that side of the great house.
Then came another weary time of waiting, and I was beginning to thinkthat I should escape again, when there were steps on the stairs--thedecided, heavy steps of Mr Rebble, who always stamped when he came upby the boys' bedrooms--to give him importance, we used to say.
It was not a meal-time, so I felt that at last I was to be taken down tothe Doctor's library. Then the door was unlocked, thrown open, and themaster said loudly, "Burr junior, the Doctor wishes to see you in hisroom."
My heart began to beat heavily as I followed him down-stairs, and thenthrough the door on to the front staircase with its thick carpet. Thehall was reached, and Mr Rebble crossed to the library, waited till Iwas on the mat, threw the door wide-open and seemed to scoop me in.
A low murmur of voices fell on my ear as the door was opened, and I knewthat I was not to see the Doctor alone, but I did not anticipate facingsuch a gathering as I gazed at wildly, with my heart throbbing, mycheeks hot, and a film coming over my eyes.
For there before me were the Doctor and his lady, Mr Hasnip, andMercer, Burr major, and Dicksee. I saw them at a glance, my eyes hardlyresting upon them, for there were three strangers in the room, and Idivined now why it was that I had not been fetched before.
I was to meet those who had placed me at the school; while beside mymother and my uncle there stood the old General, gazing at me with avery severe scowl.
For a few moments no one spoke, and I felt giddy. A mist was before myeyes, and everything looked blurred and strange, but through it all Icould see my mother's eyes gazing yearningly at me, and she half rosefrom her seat to take me to her heart, but my uncle laid his hand uponher arm and said firmly,--
"Wait, dear. Let us know the whole business first."
And then, as my mother sank back into her seat, I saw Mrs Doctor take aseat by her side, whisper something, and my mother took her hand.
"Now, Doctor Browne, if you please," said my uncle in his sharp, quick,military way, "we are all attention, and want to hear the truth of thismiserable business before the boy himself."
"Certainly, Colonel Seaborough," said the Doctor rather nervously, buthe spoke firmly directly after. "I thought it my duty first to ask youto come, as I naturally was most loth to proceed to extremities."
"Naturally, sir, naturally," said my uncle sharply. "A prisoner'sallowed a fair court-martial, eh, Rye?"
"Yes, yes, of course," said the General, and he opened a gold box andtook snuff loudly.
As soon as I could tear my eyes from my mother's, I looked across at thethree boys defiantly: at Burr major, who turned his eyes away uneasily;at Dicksee, who was looking at me with a sneering grin upon hiscountenance, a grin which faded directly into a very uncomfortable look,and he too turned away, and whispered something to Burr major; but bythis time my eyes were fixed fiercely upon Mercer, who met my gaze witha pitiful expression, which I read directly to mean, "Don't, pray don'tsay I did it. They'd never forgive me. They will you. Pray, pray,don't tell!"
I turned from him with a choking sensation of anger rising in my throat,and then stood listening, as all the old business was gone through, muchas it had been up in the loft, but with this exception, that in themidst of Burr major's statement the General gazed at him so fiercelythat my school-fellow faltered, and quite blundered through his answers.
"One moment, Doctor Browne," said the General. "Here, you, sir; youdon't like Frank Burr, do you?"
"Well, sir, I--"
"Answer my question, sir. You don't like him, do you?"
"N-no, sir."
"Thrashed you well, didn't he, for bullying?"
"I had an encounter with Burr junior, sir."
"Yes, and he thrashed you well, I know."
"I beg your pardon, Sir Hawkhurst," said the Doctor warmly. "My pupilhere, Burr major, has, I am well aware, been exceedingly tyrannical tohis schoolfellows, and when it reached my ears by a side wind that hehad been soundly thrashed by his fellow pupil here, I must own to havingbeen glad; but as his tutor it behoves me to say that he is a boy ofstrictly honourable feelings, and I do not believe he would speak as hehas done if he did not believe the truth of all he has said."
"Humph!" said the General. "Quite right, Doctor, quite right. I'mafraid I was unjust."
Then Dicksee, who looked green, made his statement, and before he haddone, the General thumped his stick down on the floor loudly.
"Here, Doctor: this fellow won't do at all. He's a sneak and amiserable, malicious scoundrel. You can see it all over his face.You're not going to take up the cudgels for him, are you?"
"I am sorry to say I cannot," replied the Doctor gravely; "and if thissad business rested upon his word alone, I should not have acted as Ihave; but, as you have heard and will hear, Sir Hawkhurst, we haveterribly strong evidence. I wish it were otherwise."
And again the weary business went on, with my mental agony increasing asI saw my mother's eyes fixed upon me. At first imploringly, then theyseemed to be full of pain, and later on it seemed to me as if she, weresuffering from a sorrow that was too hard for her to bear.
Then she would flush up angrily, and turn a reproachful look upon myuncle, as he questioned the boys and the masters, entered into whatseemed to be angry controversies with the Doctor, and generally wentagainst me all through, until I began to look at him with horror, as thegreatest enemy I had in the room.
That I was not alone in my opinion was soon evident, for I heard theDoctor sigh, and look reproachfully at him, while twice over SirHawkhurst uttered a gruff,--
"No, no, sir. Oh, come, come, Seaborough, be just."
"I am trying to be just," said my uncle sternly, after the General hadsaid this last again. "Recollect, sir, I stand in the position of thisboy's father. He is my dear sister's only child, and it has been mygreat desire to have him brought up as a worthy successor to his bravefather,--as a soldier and a gentleman,--and because I speak firmly andfeel warmly upon the subject, you say, `Be just.'"
"Well, well," cried the General, "you have struck me several times asbeing hard."
"Yes, Sir Hawkhurst," assented the Doctor; "perhaps too hard."
"Absurd, gentlemen!" cried my uncle. "I'm not the boy's mother, toforgive him after a few tears, and tell him he must be a good boy, andnever do so again."
"Colonel Seaborough," cried Mrs Doctor reproachfully, "and pray who isto forgive, if it is not a mother?"
"A beautiful sentiment, madam," cried my uncle; "but you forget that,after building up my hopes on this boy's success in life, I am suddenlysummoned, not to come ready to defend him from the foul charge, but tohave it literally forced upon me that my nephew--No, I'll discard him.If this really is true, and he is proved to be a pitiful, unmanly,contemptible thief, I have done with him for ever."
"No, no, sir," said the Doctor. "You shall not say that. You are aChristian, and you belie your own belief."
"Belie it or no, sir, I cannot bear this!" cried my uncle fiercely."Now, Frank, speak out. Did you take that contemptible toy?"
"No, uncle," I said firmly.
"Come: that's something. That's the truth or a lie. That wretchedfellow says he saw you with the watch in your hand: is that true?"
"Yes, uncle."
"That he saw you hide it in the box?"
"Yes, uncle."
"You locked it up there?"
"Yes, uncle."
"Another question: did you know whose watch it was?"
"Yes, uncle."
"And that it was stolen?"
"Yes, uncle."
"And you were not going to speak about it being in your possession?"
"No, uncle."
There was a terrible pause, and in the midst of the silence, my unclewent on.
"One word or two more, sir. On the day the watch was missed, yourefused to play?"
"Yes, uncle."
"And you went and lay down near the tent?"
"Yes, uncle; I had been very ill."
There was another pause, followed by a low murmur among those present,and then, in a fierce voice full of contemptuous rage, my unclethundered,--
"Now, sir, have you any more to say?" and my mother sank back in herseat with a low moan.