Quicksilver | Page 8

and a distant
bow, for he felt annoyed at not being consulted.
"Yes, yes," said the doctor; "but not my style of boy."

"Might I suggest one, sir!" said Mr Sibery deferentially, as he glanced
at the king who reigned over the whole building.
"To be sure," said the doctor. "You try."
Mr Hippetts frowned, and Mr Sibery wished he had not spoken; but the
dark look on the master's brow gave place to an air of triumph as the
schoolmaster introduced seven boys, one after the other, to all of whom
the visitor gave a decided negative.
"Seems a strange thing," he said, "that out of three hundred boys you
cannot show one I like."
"But all these are excellent lads, sir," said the master deprecatingly.
"Humph!"
"Best of characters."
"Humph!"
"Our own training, sir. Mr Sibery has spared no pains, and I have
watched over the boys' morals."
"Yes, I dare say. Of course. Here, what boy's that?"
He pointed with his cane to a pair of round blue eyes, quite at the back.
"That, sir--that lame boy!"
"No, no; that young quicksilver customer with the curly poll."
"Oh! that, sir! He wouldn't do," cried the two masters almost in a
breath.
"How do you know!" said the doctor tartly.
"Very bad boy indeed, sir, I'm sorry to say," said the schoolmaster.

"Yes, sir; regular young imp; so full of mischief that he corrupts the
other boys. Can't say a word in his favour; and, besides, he's too
young."
"How old?"
"About eleven, sir."
"Humph! Trot him out."
"Obed Coleby," said the master in a severe voice.
"Coleby, eh?"
"Yes, sir. Son of a miserable tramp who died some years ago in the
House. No name with him, so we called him after the town."
"Humph!" said the doctor, as the little fellow came, full of eagerness
and excitement, after kicking at Pillett, who put out a leg to hinder his
advance.
The doctor frowned, and gazed sternly at the boy, taking in carefully
his handsome, animated face, large blue eyes, curly yellow hair, and
open forehead: not that his hair had much opportunity for curling--the
workhouse barber stopped that.
The boy's face was as white as those of his companions, but it did not
seem depressed and inanimate, for, though it was thin and white, his
mouth was rosy and well-curved, and the slightly parted lips showed
his pearly white teeth.
"Humph!" said the doctor, as the bright eyes gazed boldly into his.
"Where's your bow, sir?" said the master sternly.
"Oh! I forgot," said the boy quickly; and he made up for his lapse by
bowing first with one and then the other hand.
"A sad young pickle," said the master. "Most hopeless case, sir.

Constantly being punished."
"Humph! You young rascal!" said the doctor sternly. "How dare you be
a naughty boy!"
The little fellow wrinkled his white forehead, and glanced at the
schoolmaster, and then at Mr Hippetts, before looking back at the
doctor.
"I d'know," he said, in a puzzled way.
"You don't know, sir!"
"No. I'm allus cotching it."
"Say sir, boy," cried the master.
"Allus cotching of it, sir, and it don't do me no good."
"Really, Dr Grayson--"
"Wait a bit, Mr Hippetts," said the doctor more graciously. "Let me
question the boy."
"Certainly, sir. But he has a very bad record."
"Humph! Tells the truth, though," said the doctor. "Here, sir, what's
your name?"
"Obed Coleby."
"Sir!" cried the master.
"Obed Coleby, sir," said the boy quickly, correcting himself.
"What a name!" ejaculated the doctor.
"Yes, ain't it? I hates it, sir."

"Oh! you do?"
"Yes; the boys all make fun of it, and call me Bed, and Go-to-bed, and
Old Bedstead, and when they don't do that, they always call me Old
Coal bag or Coaly."
"That will do, sir. Don't chatter so," said Mr Sibery reprovingly.
"Please, sir, he asked me," said the boy in protest; and there was a
frank, bluff manner in his speech which took with the doctor.
"Humph!" he said. "Would you like to leave this place, and come and
live with me!"
The boy puckered up his face, took a step forward, and the master
made a movement as if to send him back; but the doctor laid his hand
upon his arm, while the boy gazed into his eyes for some moments with
wonderfully searching intentness.
"Well?" said the doctor. "Will you?"
The boy's face smoothed; a bright light danced in his eyes; and, as if
full of confidence in his own judgment, he said eagerly--
"Yes; come along;" and he held out his hand.
"And leave all your schoolfellows!" said the doctor.
The boy's bright face clouded directly, and he turned to gaze back at
the crowd of closely cropped heads.
"He'll be glad