Bobbie Carr leaned wearily against the wall with hands thrust deep in his pockets and an expression of the most complete dejection. Except for those deplorable young men who were celebrating their return to school behind the closed doors of Coles’ study, he believed that he was absolutely alone in the whole of Morley’s. Everybody else had gone. In twos and threes and fours they had all passed down the corridor, talking in eager whispers and making emphatic gestures of resolve. To-night the school were meeting to lodge one last gigantic protest against the ways of the new Headmaster in a demonstration that would have weight of numbers solidly behind it and a mighty voice with which to speak.
And he was left alone in a passage. It was really awful. His futile office was to stand about outside that hated study and guard it against intruders. What intruders? There was nobody whatever left in the whole house to intrude. All he had to do was to kick his heels about and pretend to be waiting idiotically for a friend.
All the while the precious minutes were passing. Soon the whole school would be gathered outside the Head’s window and he, who had really conceived as great an admiration for Rouse as any other boy in the school, would not be there. Others would notice his absence and comment upon it; there would be a general and a perfectly just vote that he be kicked.
102It was worse than awful. It was pitiful.
Quite unexpectedly Henry came down the passage, stopped at Coles’ study and reached for the doorknob.
Bobbie sprang forward in one excited leap.
“Stop! Hey! Where are you going?”
Henry’s attitude was admirable. His hand never reached the door. In point of fact it was never intended to. His arm fell stiffly to his side.
Then he looked for a spot suitable for quiet conversation away from the door. It was important that if Coles were in that study he should not know that he, Henry Hope, was outside.
At last he took Bobbie by the arm and moved down the passage in the manner of a novice on roller skates, until they were safely out of earshot, when he stopped and placed his hands upon his hips.
“You may not know it,” he began, “but I have been three times to the corner of this passage, only to find you each time propping up the wall.”
Bobbie gazed at him dully and could offer no reasonable reply.
“Say,” demanded Henry, “what’s Coles ... doing ... in that room?”
“How do you know Coles is in there?”
Henry snapped his finger.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I’ll tell you how things are. I believe Coles is up against Rouse. I believe he thinks he’s got a chance of being captain himself. That’s what everybody’s saying, anyway. Now Rouse asked for you as his fag and it seems you’ve told Morley that you’d rather stay with Coles. And what I want to know is, why?”
Bobbie was silent.
“There’s only one thing to it. Somehow or other Coles has got a strangle-hold on you.... There’s a mystery in this. Coles told Rouse that he knew 103your family and for that reason he particularly wanted you as his fag. I know Coles is sick with Rouse; of course, he’s blind jealous. He’s sick that he wasn’t asked to form one of the deputation to-night too.... But there’s more in it than that. Somehow Coles has got you in his grip. I’m going to find out why, and the only way to do that is to get a hold on Coles. So—what’s Coles doing in that study?”
“How do you know he’s in there?” demanded Bobbie.
Henry made a gesture of extreme pride.
“Most of this I’ve told you I know because Rouse knows—and Rouse told me, and, by Gemini! he told the right man. But how did I know Coles was in there? Well, it’s as plain to me as if it were written up on a placard outside the door. Coles is nowhere in the school, and you’ve stuck here for the last hour. To prove it I came up as though I were going into the room and you wouldn’t let me ... and I say ... does this mean he’s not going to help in the hullabaloo at all?”
“I don’t know,” said Bobbie wretchedly.
Henry considered the matter for a moment. At last he turned and seized the other by the wrist.
“Very well,” said he, “I’m going to fetch Coles out of it.”
“Fetch him out?”
“Certainly.”
“How?”
“By going in.”
“But that won’t fetch him out—unless you mean he’ll chase you.”
“Chase me?” Henry’s dignity appeared to be somewhat offended. “Chase me?” he repeated. “Of course not. I mean to go in and tell him Pointon’s waiting for him at the Head’s room. By the time he gets there the other chaps will be inside and 104when Coles says afterwards: ‘Did you want me?’ Pointon will say: ‘Of course I did. I want every fellow in the school.’ He won’t dare to make a shindy. It’ll look pretty bad if he’s noticed to be the only one absent out of Rouse’s house.... And then,” he added, “as soon as Coles has gone you can go. Do you get me?”
Bobbie cheered up. He glanced at Henry admiringly.
“Do you mean it?” said he. “But how will you get in?”
“That’s easy. You’ll just go and knock at the door, and when he shouts out you’ll say there’s a chap come with a message from Pointon.”
Bobbie considered this plan with sparkling eyes. The greyness of the immediate future began to fade swiftly away.
“Go on,” said Henry. “It’s all right. If there’s any difficulty afterwards I’ll see Terence and he’ll square it. I’m speaking the truth anyway. Pointon does want him. He wants everybody. He said so. I’m just going to remind Coles about it, that’s all, only I shall put it a bit differently, of course.”
“Supposing he kicks you,” submitted Bobbie. “It might hurt.”
This time Henry looked really annoyed.
“Don’t be so stupid,” said he. “You go and knock at the door.”
Bobbie needed no second bidding. He moved forward and knocked loudly.
“Hullo!” cried Coles. “What is it? Who’s there?”
There was distinct vexation in his voice. For one moment Henry quailed. There was no doubt whatever that Coles was the best drop-kick in the school.
Next moment Bobbie had explained. There was a dramatic pause. Henry trembled with excitement. 105At last he heard movement inside the study and Coles’ voice saying:
“All right, send him in.”
The moment had come. Henry set his teeth, and with one hand at his coat-tails surreptitiously ready to protect himself and every nerve alert, he walked stiffly to the door and went ............