Louis School Days | Page 7

I'll insense you into the meaning of that, presently. That, my
good sir, is where the old women stood in the good old times, crying
out, 'Here you are! sovereigns a penny a measure!' And that's the reason
people used to be so rich!"
"Oh, Frank! now I know that's only your nonsense," said Alfred.
"Well, I can't give you a comprehension, and if I could buy you one, I
couldn't afford it," answered Frank. "Now here's my place for any one;
Louis, I'll make you a present of it, as I don't want it."
"I don't want to buy any thing," said Louis.
"Rubbish!" cried Frank. "Every one does. Don't be stingy." And so
Louis allowed himself to be pushed and pulled into the crowd, and
bought something he would much rather have been without, because he
found it inconvenient to say no.
The two upper classes were privileged to use the largest of the

class-rooms as their sitting-room in the evenings; and here Reginald
introduced his brother after tea; and, when he had shown him his
lessons, began to prepare his own. Most of the assembled youths were
soon quietly busy, though some of the more idly disposed kept up a fire
of words, while turning over leaves, and cutting pens to pieces. Among
the latter class was Frank Digby, who was seldom known to be silent
for a quarter of an hour, and who possessed the singular power of
distracting every one's attention but his own; for, though he scarcely
ever appeared to give his lessons a moment's attention, he was
generally sufficiently prepared with them to enable him to keep his
place in his class, which was usually two from the bottom.
Louis saw that he must give his whole mind to his work; but being
unused to study in a noise, it was some time before he was well able to
comprehend what he wanted to do; and found himself continually
looking up and laughing at something around him, or replying to some
of Frank's jokes, which were often directed to him. When, by a great
exertion, he had at last forced himself to attend to Reginald's repeated
warnings, and had begun to learn in earnest, the door softly opened, and
the little boy he had noticed in the crowd that afternoon came in.
"Halloa! what do you want?" cried one of the seniors; "you have no
business here."
"Is Edward here, Mr. Salisbury?"
"No."
"Do you know where he is, please?"
"With the doctor," replied the young gentleman.
"Oh dear!" sighed the little boy, venturing to approach the table a little
nearer.
"What's the matter with you?" asked Reginald.
"I can't do this," said the child: "I wanted Edward to help me with my

exercise."
"My little dear, you have just heard that sapient Fred Salisbury declare,
in the most civil terms chooseable, that your fraternal preceptor,
Edwardus magnus, non est inventus," said Frank, pompously, with a
most condescending flourish of his person in the direction of the little
boy.
"And, consequently," said the afore-mentioned Mr. Salisbury, "you
have free leave to migrate to York, Bath, Jericho, or any other equally
convenient resort for bores in general, and you in particular."
"Please, Mr. Digby," said the little boy, "will you just show me this?"
"Indeed I can't," said Frank; "I can't do my own, so in all reason you
could not expect me to find brains for two exercises."
"Oh! please somebody show me--Dr. Wilkinson will be so angry if Mr.
Norton sends me up again to-morrow."
"Will you go?" shouted Salisbury, with such deliberate energy of
enunciation that Alfred shrunk back: "what's the use of your exercises,
if you're shown how to do them?"
"Come here, Alfred," said Louis, softly. Alfred readily obeyed; and
Louis, taking his book, began to show him what to do.
"Louis, you must not tell him word for word," said Reginald:
"Hamilton wouldn't like it--he never does himself."
"But I may help him to do it for himself, may I not?" said Louis.
"Yes; but, Louis, you have not time--and he is so stupid," replied
Reginald; "you won't have time to do your own."
But Louis thought he should have time for both, and, putting his arm
round Alfred, he kindly and patiently set him in the way of doing his
lesson properly, and then resumed his own disturbed studies.

Hardly, however, was he settled than he found himself listening to
Frank, who remarked, as Alfred left the room, "We shall be sure to
have 'Oars' in soon!"
"Who do you mean by Oars?" asked Louis.
"Churchill," said Reginald, laughing.
"What an extraordinary name!" said Louis.
"I say, Digby," cried a boy from the opposite side of the table, "they
give you the credit of that cognomen--but we are all in