Prattleton

I was kept out, and I could not help myself. Wilberforce, when he recovered his astonishment. Come; I will know it. Strange perhaps to say, the master believed him: Henry touched his cap again, and the master strode on to the residence of the Reverend Mr.

Prattleton Gossips

Prattleton, and entered it without ceremony. Prattleton was seated with his two sons, and with George. The boys went away, exceedingly glad to be sent. But to that suggestion they were conveniently deaf, preferring to take an evening gallop through some of the more obscure streets, where they knocked furiously at all the doors, and pulled out a few of the bell-wires.

Hunt protests that nobody has had access to it but ourselves, save in his presence. Fauntleroy had cautioned him still not to speak of it. He says, that last November you and Lewis had some secret between you, about the church. Lewis went down to his house one morning by moonlight, got the key by stratagem, and brought it back, saying it was the wrong one: What was it all about?

What did he want in the church? That was nothing, Mr. We did not go into the church, after all. George Prattleton spoke with eagerness, and then hastened from the room, but not before Mr. Wilberforce had caught a glimpse of his countenance. Prattleton turned, and looked at the door by which he had gone out. I shall begin to think there is a mystery in this.

It seems that young Arkell—what a nice lad that is! Arkell was locked in the church all night. Hunt would not give it him, and Lewis appealed to George. Did George tell you? Lewis, some days afterwards, imparted the exploit to my boy, Joe. Joe, in his turn, imparted it to his brother, under a formidable injunction of secrecy, and I happened to overhear them, and became as wise as they were.

Wilberforce, his countenance bearing its most severe expression. I think I shall offer a reward for the discovery. Wilberforce proceeded home, and into the study where his boarders were assembled, some half dozen of the head boys. One of them, a great tall fellow, stood on his head on a table, his feet touching the wall. Down clattered the head and the feet, and the gentleman stood upright on the floor.

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It was Lewis senior. Wilberforce took a seat, and the boys held their breath: I have not locked him up, sir.

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Lewis pricked up his ears, which had turned of a fiery red; then Arkell had been locked in! I finished mine last night, sir, and forgot it till I went to do my Latin just now. Believing as much of this as he chose, Mr. Wilberforce did not pursue the subject. Did you do it? Lewis saw that all was up. Equivocate to me now, if you dare. Had it come to my knowledge at the time, you should have been flogged till you could not stand, and ignominiously expelled.

Flogged you will be, as it is. Do you know, sir, that he might have died through it? The next actor on the scene was George Prattleton. But there he halted as if dumbfounded, and a key which he held he dropped back into his pocket again. I must face the matter boldly, and persuade him his eyes are wrong. Did you want it, sir?

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I came to know the hour fixed for the funeral. Prattleton desired me to ascertain, and I looked in last evening, but you were out. I thought the missis told you. Lewis stopped in consternation, for his eyes had fallen on Mr. The latter took the key from his unresisting hand. Prattleton heard the assertion with equanimity, and began whistling a popular air as he left the house. Hunt just glanced upwards, and saw it was the veritable church key.

Lewis stood in irresolution; his terror for the fate of Henry Arkell was strong upon him. He flew after George Prattleton. Will you get it from him for me? Prattleton stopped and gazed at him. What are you up to? It may be a matter of life or death.

George Prattleton was walking on, but turned again and waited. He was not free from some inward wonder and agitation himself, remembering his own adventure of the past night. I did it only for a lark, you know. He was here afore I had opened our shutters.

Mildred Arkell, by Ellen Wood : chapter38

Arkell, sir; him what goes in to practise on the organ. It must have been then that Henry Arkell got out of the church. How much had he witnessed of the scene in the vestry? George Prattleton exchanged a look with Lewis, and hung the key up again, making some vague remark to the clerk, that Mr. Arkell had probably found what they were about to look for, if he had been to practise so recently as yesterday evening. Shutting the door behind him, he walked away with Lewis, whose senses were in a state of hopeless perplexity.

The hour for assembling was seven, but in the winter season some irregularity in arriving was winked at, for the best of all possible reasons, that the masters were late themselves; and it was often half past before the senior boy called over the roll.

Henry went upstairs to give his face a wash; the man-servant saw him going up, but supposed he had only returned for something he might have forgotten. Neither of the Lewises was in the room, and he found his own bed tumbled as if he had slept in it. If Lewis had done it out of good nature, that his absence should not be observed, he must have changed greatly. Jocelyn had done calling the roll when Henry got to the college hall.

It was so unusual a thing for him to be marked late, that Jocelyn heaved his eyebrows in a sort of lazy surprise. Presently Jocelyn asked him in an undertone where he had been the previous evening. I suppose you were at the deanery—and got home at eleven? Henry threw his eyes round the school in search of the Lewises.

The elder one he could not see; but the younger was at his desk with a red and sullen face, the effects of the private beating. Aultane left his place and took the roll to the dean, continuing his way to the organ-loft, to inquire what anthem had been put up. He spoke sullenly, and crossed to his seat on the opposite side, and Arkell rose and reported the anthem to the lay-clerks behind him. Wilberforce was then reading the first lesson. Now it happened that there was only one bass at service that afternoon, he on the decani side, Mr.

Smith flew into a temper. He had a first-rate voice, was a good singer, and being inordinately vain, liked to give himself airs. Hardcast, go up to the organ-loft, and tell——Or I wish you would oblige me by going yourself, Arkell: My compliments to Paul, and the anthem must be done without the bass solo, or he must put up another. Henry Arkell, ever ready to oblige, left his stall, proceeded to the organ-loft, and delivered the message. The organist was wroth: The organist took up one of the anthem books with a jerk, and turned over its leaves.

As Henry Arkell descended the stairs, Mr. Wilberforce was concluding the first lesson. So instead of giving notice of the change of anthem to Mr. Wilberforce and the singers on the cantori side, he left that until later, and made haste to his own stall, to be in time for the soli parts in the Cantate Domino, which was being sung that afternoon in place of the Magnificat.

A sexton, a verger, and one or two of the senior boys, surrounded, lifted, and carried him out. Had there been any change, he would have gone and told Wilberforce and the opposites.

Henry Arkell was only stunned by the fall, and before the conclusion of the second lesson, he appeared in the choir, to the surprise of many. After giving the requisite notice of the change in the anthem to Mr. Wilberforce and Aultane, he entered his stall; but his face was white as the whitest marble. He sang, as usual, in the Deus Misereatur. And when the time for the anthem came, Mr. Wilberforce rose from his knees to give it out. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God: Every eye was on him, wondering at the beauty of his voice, at the marvellous beauty of his countenance: When the solo was concluded, Henry, with an involuntary glance at the pew of Mrs.

Beauclerc, fell against the back of his stall for support: Only for a moment, however, for the chorus commenced. Wilberforce recommenced his chanting. Tenor leaned over and grasped him by the arm, and pulled him up with a sudden jerk. But he did not hold him, and the poor head fell forward again upon the desk.

Henry Arkell had fainted. Wilberforce momentarily stopped chanting, and directed his angry spectacles towards the choristers, not understanding what caused the hubbub, and inwardly vowing to flog the whole five on the morrow.