The Cock-House at Fellsgarth Part 23

They all thought it would be magnificent.

"I see no reason why you youngsters should not manage it splendidly by yourselves at soon as you get once started. You'll have to draw up strict rules, of course, for managing the shop, and make up the accounts; and look out sharp that you aren't selling anything at a loss.

Remember, the cheaper you can sell (provided you get a fair profit), the more customers you'll have. And the better your stuff is, the more it will be liked. Mrs Stratton says she will act as banker, and take care of the money at the end of each day and pay out what you want for stores. Don't say anything about it out of doors at present; talk it over among yourselves daring the week, and if you think it will work, tell me, and we'll have a regular business meeting to settle preliminaries. Now suppose we have a game of crambo?"

When the party broke up, Moderns and Cla.s.sics strolled affectionately across the Green arm in arm, deep in confabulation as to the projected shop.

When they reached the door of Wakefield's, Wally said, "By the way, have any of you chaps lost a football? There's one kicking about in our room. Hang outside and I'll chuck it to you out of the window."

Which he did. And the ball proved to be the very one the Moderns had lost a week ago! How curious!

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

FELLSGARTH VERSUS RENDLESHAM.

How it came that Rollitt played, after all, in the Rendlesham match, no one could properly understand.

His name was not down on the original list. Yorke _had_ given up asking him to play, as he always either excused himself, or, what was worse, promised to come and failed at the last moment.

After the defeat of the Moderns at the second election, the question of the selection of the fifteen had been allowed to drop; and those who were keen on victory hoped no further difficulty would arise. Two days before the match, however, Brinkman was unlucky enough to hurt his foot, and to his great mortification was forbidden by the doctor to play. The news of his accident caused general consternation, as he was known to be a good forward and a useful man in a scrimmage. Clapperton increased the difficulty by coming over to say that as Brinkman was laid up, he had arranged for Corder to play instead.

Corder, as it happened, was a Modern senior, a small fellow, and reputed an indifferent player.

"He wouldn't do at all," said Yorke, decisively.

"Why not? Surely we've got a right to find a subst.i.tute for our own man," said Clapperton, testily.

"What do you mean by your own man? Who cares twopence whose man he is, as long as he plays up? The fifteen are Fellsgarth men, and no more yours than they are mine."

"If they were as much mine as yours no one would complain."

"You mean to say that if you were captain of the fifteen you'd put Corder in the team for a first-cla.s.s match?"

"Why not? There are plenty worse than he."

"There are so many better, that he is out of the question."

"That means only five of our men are to play against ten of yours."

"You're talking rot, Clapperton, and you know it. If I'm captain, I'll choose my own team. If you don't like it, or if the best fifteen men in the school aren't in it, you are welcome to complain. I hope you will."

"It strikes me pretty forcibly our fellows won't fancy being snubbed like this. It would be a bad job if they showed as much on the day of the match."

"It would be a bad job--for them," said the captain.

When Yorke repeated this disagreeable conversation to his friends later on, they pulled long faces.

"I suppose he means they don't intend to play up," said Dalton.

"If that's so," said Fisher major, "why not cut them all out and make up the fifteen of fellows you can depend on?"

"That wouldn't do," said Yorke. "I expect when the time comes they'll play up all right. After all, Clapperton and Fullerton are two of our best men."

"But what about the vacant place?"

"I've four or five names all better than Corder," said the captain, "but none of them as good as Brinkman."

The company generally, it is to be feared, did not lament as honestly as Yorke did, the accident to their rival. They did not profess to rejoice, of course; still they bore the blow with equanimity.

Next morning, to the astonishment of everybody, the notice board contained an abrupt announcement in the captain's hand, that in consequence of Brinkman's inability to play, Rollitt would take his place in the fifteen.

Yorke himself could not account for this sudden act of patriotism.

Rollitt, he said, had looked into his room last night at bedtime and said--

"I'll play on Sat.u.r.day," and vanished.

Fisher minor was perhaps, of all persons, better able to explain the mystery than any one else. He had overheard in Ranger's study a general lamentation about the prospects for Sat.u.r.day, and a wish expressed by his brother that Rollitt were not so unsociable and undependable.

Everybody agreed it was utterly useless to ask him to play, and that they would have to get a second-rate man to fill the empty place, and so most probably lose the match.

Fisher minor heard all this, and when presently, on his way to his own den, he pa.s.sed Rollitt's door, a tremendous resolution seized him to take upon himself the duty of amba.s.sador extraordinary for the School.

Rollitt appeared to owe him no grudge for throwing stones the other day, and had already come to his relief handsomely at the time of the second election and in the affair with Dangle. On the whole, Fisher minor thought he might venture.

Rollitt was reading hard by the light of one small candle when he entered.

"Please, Rollitt," said the boy, "would you ever mind playing for the School on Sat.u.r.day?"

Rollitt looked up in such evident alarm that Fisher major put his hand on the latch of the door, and made ready to bolt.

"I'll see--get out," said Rollitt.

And Fisher minor did get out.

It was really too absurd to suppose that Rollitt was going to play in the fifteen to oblige Fisher minor. So at least thought that young gentleman, and remained discreetly silent about his interview, hoping devoutly no one would hear of it.

The joy of the Cla.s.sics was almost equal to the fury of the Moderns.

The latter could not deny that Rollitt was a host in himself, and worth a dozen Corders. Yet it galled them to see him quietly put in the vacant place, and to hear the jubilation on every hand.

For Rollitt was the fellow who had publicly insulted the Moderns in the person of Dangle; and not only that, but--poor and shabby as he was--had shown himself utterly indifferent to their indignation and contemptuous of their threats.

"Why," Dangle said, "the fellow's a pauper! he can't even pay for his clubs! His father's a common fellow, I'm told."

"Yes, and I heard," said Brinkman, "his fees up here are paid for him.

Why, we might just as well have Bob in the fifteen."

"A jolly sight better. Bob knows how to be civil."

"It is a crime to be poor," said Fullerton. "I hope I shall never commit it."