Louis' School Days Part 29

if I had been an artist:--there stood Gruffy, in her best black silk, looking more puzzled than angry; Frank--I couldn't see what he looked like, but I'll suppose it, as he says--and doctor turning from one to the other with a face as red as a turkey-c.o.c.k, and looking so magnificent!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: The counterfeit Mrs. Guppy.]

"Poor Frank!" exclaimed several laughing voices.

"Well, at last Fudge found words, and in such a tone, exclaimed, 'MRS. GUPPY! who is THIS, then?' Then she stormed out; 'Ay, sir, who is it, indeed? perhaps you will inquire.' I didn't see what followed, for my range of vision was rather circ.u.mscribed--but I imagine that doctor pulled off part of Frank's disguise, for the next words I heard were, '_Digby_, this is _intolerable_!' uttered in the doctor's most magnificent anger--'What is the meaning of this?' Frank said something about _a wager_ and _a little fun, meaning no harm_, et cetera; and Fudge gave him such a lecture, finis.h.i.+ng off by declaring, that 'if he persisted in perpetrating such senseless follies he should find some other place to do so in than his house.' All the little boys were laughing, but doctor stopped them all with a thundering 'SILENCE!' and then he asked what Frank had in that cup. 'Cold tea, sir,' said Digby, quite meekly. 'And what's this at the bottom?' 'Sugar, sir,' I saw the doctor's face--it was not one to be trifled with, but there seemed a sort of grim smile there, too, when he gave the cup to Frank and insisted upon his drinking it all up; and Digby did it, too--he dared not refuse."

Another peal of laughter rang through the room, in which Hamilton joined heartily.

"Then," continued Salisbury, "doctor said he hoped he would feel a little better for his dose--and, becoming as grave as before, he desired he would return Mrs. Guppy's things, and beg her pardon for his impertinence."

"He didn't do so, surely?" said Jones.

"He did, though," replied Salisbury; "and I wouldn't have been him if he'd been obstinate; but he added--I wondered how even _he_ dared--_I've saved you a little trouble, ma'am, there are six of them in bed_."

"Oh! oh! disgraceful!" exclaimed Hamilton.

"What did Fudge say?" asked Smith.

"'THIS TO MY FACE, SIR!' and then, what he was going to do I don't know, but Frank was quite frightened, and begged pardon so very humbly that at last Fudge let him off with five hundred lines of Virgil to be done before Wednesday evening, and then sent him to bed--and there he is, for he was too much alarmed to play any more tricks."

"I'd have given something to have seen it," cried one, when the laugh was a little over.

"I think," said Jones, "all things considered, that the doctor was tolerably lenient."

"Oh! Digby's a little bit of a favorite, I fancy," said Meredith.

"Not a bit," said Reginald. "What do you say, Hamilton?"

"Nothing," said Hamilton, shortly.

"One would think you never liked a joke, Hamilton," said Peters.

"Nor do I, when it is so low as to be practical," said Hamilton.

"I feel no sympathy whatever with him."

The event furnished idle conversation enough for that evening, and it was long before it was forgotten; and, in spite of Frank's reiterated boast that he did not care, and his apparent partic.i.p.ation in the mirth occasioned by his failure, it required the utmost exercise of his habitual good-humor to bear equally the untiring teasing of his school-fellows, and the still more trying coldness and sarcasm of his master, whose manner very perceptibly altered towards him for some time after. Ca.s.son took care that no one in the lower school should be ignorant of Frank's defeat, and stimulated the little boys to tease him--but this impertinence, being an insult to the dignity of the seniors, was revenged by them as a body, and the juvenile tormentors were too much awe-struck and alarmed to venture on a repet.i.tion of their offence.

CHAPTER XVI.

During Louis' frequent walks with Hamilton, it must not be supposed that his home and home-doings were left out of the conversation; before very long, Hamilton had made an intimate mental acquaintance with all his little friend's family, their habits of life, and every other interesting particular Louis could remember. Hamilton was an excellent listener, and never laughed at Louis' fondness for home, and many were the extracts from home-letters with which he was favored; nay, sometimes whole letters were inflicted on him.

Among the many delightful topics of home history, Louis dwelt on few with more pleasure and enthusiasm than the social musical evenings, and said so much on them, that Hamilton's curiosity was at length aroused, after hearing Louis sing two or three times, to wonder what a madrigal could be like. Louis tried to satisfy this craving by singing the treble part, and descanting eloquently on the manner in which the other parts ought to come in; but all in vain he repeated, "There now, Hamilton, you see this is the _contralto_ part; and when this bit of the _soprano_ is sung, it comes in so beautifully, and the ba.s.s is crossing it, and playing hide and seek with the tenor."

Hamilton was obtuse, but at length, by f.a.gging very hard with one or two boys in the school-room, and getting one of the ushers, who generally performed a second in all the musical efforts in the school, to make some kind of ba.s.s, Louis presented his choir one evening in the playground, and made them sing, to the great rapture of the audience.

After this exhibition, the whole school seemed to have a fever for madrigals; nothing was heard about the playground but sc.r.a.ps of that which Louis had taken pains to drill into his party; and one or two came to Louis and Reginald to learn to take a second part. In play-hours, nothing seemed thought of but part-singing, and suddenly the propriety of giving a grand public concert was started; and after a serious debate, a singing-cla.s.s was established, Louis being declared president, or master of the choir.

We will not say how fussy Louis was on the occasion; but he went about very busily trying the voices of his school-fellows for a day or two after his appointment, and picking out the best tones for his pupils.

Ca.s.son owned a very fine singing voice, though it was one of the most rude in speaking, and having been partially initiated in the mystery before, by Louis was declared a treasure. Frank Digby was another valuable acquisition; for, joined to an extremely soft, full _contralto_ voice, he possessed, in common with his many accomplishments, a refined ear and almost intuitive power of chiming in melodiously with any thing.

Salisbury was a very respectable ba.s.s, as things went; and Reginald, who was certainly incapacitated for singing treble, declared his intention of a.s.sisting him, being quite confident that his voice would be a desirable adjunct. The members of the cla.s.s having at last been decided on, a subscription was raised, and Hamilton was commissioned to purchase what was necessary, the first convenient opportunity; and accordingly, the next half-holiday, he obtained leave for Louis to accompany him, and set off on his commission. He had scarcely left the school-room when Trevannion met him, and volunteered to accompany him.

"I shall be very glad of your company," said Hamilton; "I am going to choose the music. You may stare when I talk of choosing music--it is well I have so powerful an auxiliary, or I am afraid I should not give much satisfaction to our committee of taste."

"What powerful auxiliary are you depending on?" said Trevannion; "I shall be a poor one."

"You--oh, yes!" exclaimed Hamilton; "a very poor one, I suspect.

I was speaking of Louis Mortimer; he is going with me."

"Indeed," said Trevannion, coldly; "you will not want me, then!"

"Why not?" asked Hamilton. "We shall, I a.s.sure you, be very glad of your company."

"So will Hutton and Salisbury," said Trevannion; "and I can endure my own company when I am not wanted;" as he spoke, he walked away.

Hamilton turned, and looked after his retreating figure, as, drawn up to its full height, it quickly disappeared in the crowd of boys, who were chaffering with the old cake-man. His puzzled countenance soon resumed its accustomed gravity, and with a slight curl of the lip, he laid his hand on Louis' arm, and drew him on.

"Trevannion is offended," said Louis.

"He's welcome," was the rejoinder.

"But it is on my account, Hamilton," said Louis, anxiously; "I cannot bear that you should quarrel with him for me."

"I have not quarrelled," said Hamilton, coldly. "If he chooses to be offended, I can't help it."

"But he is an older friend than I am in two senses--let me go after him and tell him I am not going. I can go with you another afternoon."

Louis drew his arm away as he spoke, and was starting off, when Hamilton seized him quite roughly, and exclaimed in an angry tone, "You shall do no such thing, Louis! Does he suppose I am to have no one else but himself for my friend--_friend_, indeed!" he repeated.

"It's all indolence, Louis."

Louis looked up half alarmed, startled at his vehemence.

"Perhaps," said Hamilton, relaxing his hold, and laughing as he spoke, "perhaps if I had not been so lazy, I should have found a more suitable friend before; as it is, I do not yet find Trevannion indispensable--by no means," he added, scornfully.

"Dear Hamilton," said Louis, "I shall be quite unhappy if I think I am the cause of your thinking ill of Trevannion. You used to be such great friends."

"None the worse, perhaps, because we are aware of a common absence of perfection in each other," replied Hamilton, whose countenance had gradually regained its calmness. "It is foolish to be angry, Louis, but I was; and now let there be an end of it--I don't mean to forsake you for all the Trevannions in Christendom."

They had by this time reached the playground gates, and were here overtaken by Frank Digby, who had before engaged to be one of the party.

"Better late than never," said Louis, in reply to his breathless excuses. "I had my doubts whether your pressing engagements with Maister Dunn would allow you to accompany us."

"Why, I got rid of him pretty soon," said Frank; "only just as I had wedged myself out of the phalanx, who should appear but Thally."

"_Who?_" said Louis.