Louis' School Days Part 20

"No, not that," replied Louis. "He took it out of the study. Some of the boys were in the habit of using the keys when they could."

"Well, there was nothing so very terrible in it, poor fellows.

I dare say the lessons are very hard. I think every boy ought to have an English translation of those frightful Latin and Greek books."

Louis opened his eyes and quietly said--

"We think it very dishonorable and unfair, ma'am."

"Well, if I understood all about it, I might too, I dare say.

I only see a little bit, but of course you know the rules and all the rest,--well, was that all?"

"No, ma'am," said Louis, uneasily.

"He said you had taken it, I dare say?"

"Something like it," replied Louis. "He slipped it among my books to hide it, ma'am, but not intending to do me any harm; and when it was found he was afraid to speak the truth."

"And so you bore the blame--and did you not try to clear yourself?"

"To be sure, ma'am; but he was older and better known than I was, and so he was believed."

"And you couldn't help yourself? I thought you bore it out of kindness to him."

"Afterwards I found it out, ma'am. I found that Alfred Hamilton knew something about it."

"Who is Alfred Hamilton?" asked Mrs. Paget.

"A little boy, ma'am, at school."

"And he found it out--and didn't he tell of it?"

"I did not wish him," replied Louis, with less reserve. "It would have been very unkind to poor Ferrers; he would have been expelled.

Alfred was going to tell, but you would not have wished him to do it, I am sure."

Ah Louis, Louis! anxiety for Ferrers' reputation was quite lost in the selfish desire of admiration. Mrs. Paget put her arm round him, and her kindly eyes nearly overflowed with affectionate emotion, for she, poor lady, could only see the surface; the inward workings of the little vain heart were hid from her, or she would have been surprised to find under the appearance of sweetness and humility, Louis was only thinking of seeming lovely and amiable in her eyes.

"No, my darling, I know you could not do any thing unkind--you are a sweet, dear creature, and I am sure I love you; and so this Master Ferrers never spoke the truth, and you bore the blame?"

"He did at last, ma'am, at the end of the half-year: but it was not very long to bear it, only five weeks."

"_Only!_ I wonder you could have done it for so long; Ferrers, that was the name, was it?"

"If you please, don't mention it," exclaimed Louis, with unaffected earnestness; "I did not mean to say his name. Please, dear Mrs. Paget, do not mention it. He is so very sorry, and confessed all so handsomely--I think you would like him if you knew all about him, for he is not so bad as others make him out to be."

Mrs. Paget had only time to give him a kind of half promise, when she was called away; and Louis, left to himself, became aware of the vanity his foolish heart had persuaded him was Christian kindness. His enjoyment was destroyed that evening, for he was full of anxiety lest Mrs. Paget should talk of the matter, and he wandered restlessly about the rooms, longing for an opportunity of speaking a kind word for Ferrers, wis.h.i.+ng vainly that what he had said could be undone. He felt more than ever the necessity of keeping a watch over his heart and tongue, and almost inclined to despair of ever overcoming the many stumbling-blocks in the way of attaining to holiness. Thus, little by little, is the evil of our hearts disclosed to us, and the longer the true Christian lives, the less he finds to be satisfied with in himself; not that he is further removed from holiness, but he has more sight given him to know what he really is by nature--and the nearer he arrives to the perfect day, the greater is the light to disclose his own deformities, and the exceeding loveliness of the righteousness he possesses in Jesus his Lord.

Louis, in common with the young visitors at Heronhurst, thought often and expectantly of his birthday--and when the morning at last arrived, he awoke much earlier than usual, with a strong sensation of some great happiness. The light on the blind of his window was not bright, nor promising brightness--and when he jumped up and ran to examine the day, expressing to his brother his hope that the weather was propitious, he found to his dismay that the rain was pouring in torrents, and the dull unbroken clouds gave but little promise of a change in the prospect.

"Oh! Reginald, it's raining, raining hard."

"How very provoking!" cried Reginald. "Let me see--there is not much hope neither--how exceedingly tiresome--there's an end to our fun--who'd have thought it--how VERY--"

"Hus.h.!.+" said poor Louis, who was very much disappointed, "it is not right to say _tiresome_ when it pleases G.o.d that the weather shall not suit us."

"I can't help it," said Reginald.

"I dare say we shall be very happy. I am most sorry about the school-children."

"I don't care a fig about them," said Reginald, impatiently; "there's that cricket match, and all."

"What, not the poor little things, Reginald? just think how they have been expecting this day--it is quite an event for them, and we have so many pleasures: I dare say you will have the cricket the first fine day."

Reginald felt rather ashamed, and yet unwilling to acknowledge himself in the wrong; therefore he satisfied himself with remarking, that Louis did not like cricket, and he didn't care about the children, and there was no difference.

Louis' attention was at that moment attracted by something on the table.

"Oh! here is something for me, Reginald!--A beautiful new Bible from dear papa and mamma--and a church service from grandmamma, and what's this?--'_The Lady of the Manor_' from uncle and aunt Clarence; how kind, look Reginald! and here's another--a beautiful little red and gold book, '_Mrs. Rowe's Poems_,' the book I am so fond of--from you: oh! thank you, dear Reginald."

"And many happy returns of the day, dear Louis," said Reginald, who had by this time completely recovered his ordinary good-humor.

At the foot of the stairs, when he descended, Louis met some of the young party, who hardly waited to offer the compliments of the day before they loudly expressed the disappointment felt by each at the unfavorable weather. "Raining, raining--nothing but splas.h.i.+ng and dark clouds--so tiresome, so disappointing--we shall be obliged to stay in-doors," sounded round him in different keys as they marched in close phalanx to the breakfast-room, where they found Bessie Vernon, a little girl of seven years old, kneeling on a chair at the window, singing, in the most doleful accents,

"Rain, rain, go to Spain, And mind you don't come back again."

"Good morning, Bessie," said Louis.

"Oh! Louis, many happy returns. I haven't got a present for you, because I hadn't money enough."

"Never mind," said Louis; "I would rather have your love and kisses than any present."

"And I will give you many, many kisses," cried the little girl, fulfilling her promise in good earnest.

"_My love and a kiss_," said her brother; "that's what Bessie always sends at the end of her letters: isn't it, Bessie, _I send you my love and a kiss_?"

"Well, I mean it," said Bessie, "and you needn't laugh. I wonder what we shall do to-day--dear me--I think, though, there's a little lighter bit of sky over the oak."

"Let me see--where are my spectacles?" said Frank.

"Not much hope, I fear," said Sir George's hearty voice behind her. "Not much hope, Bessie. What an array of long faces. How do you do? Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, I hope I see you in health and spirits. A happy birthday, and many of them to you, my boy; the rain does not appear to have damped you so much as some of your play-fellows--well, Miss Bessie?"

"Grandpapa, grandpapa! what shall we do? you must find some pleasure for us," cried Bessie, clinging round her grandfather's knees, and looking up very beseechingly in the kind face so far above her.

"Ah, well--we'll see, we'll see--now let me go to breakfast; when that important business is dispatched, and grandmamma makes her appearance, we will find something to do."

Fortified with this promise, an excellent breakfast was eaten by the martyrs to disappointment, and then, after some consultation, it was decided that the band should be in attendance in the hall, and a messenger should be sent forthwith to command the attendance of the school-children at a banquet in the same place, and Lady Vernon was of opinion that with charades, a magic lantern, bagatelle, tivoli, and dolls, a very merry morning might be spent. The young people then dispersed in search of their own peculiar amus.e.m.e.nts. Some of the young men went into the billiard-room, and a few chess parties were formed.

Some began to act charades for the edification of such among the elders as would choose to make an audience. A still larger party adjourned to the school-room to play at houses with their dolls, and two tables were soon spread with ground plans of three magnificent establishments for paper ladies and gentlemen, by three young ladies between the ages of twelve and eight, a.s.sisted by Mr. Frank Digby.

At one o'clock they went to the hall, where the band was playing a merry air. Here a long table was spread, well covered with a nice plain dinner, and the school-children came two-and-two into the hall, just after the visitors had arrived.