The Master of the Shell | Page 7

my son, I know," said Mrs. Herapath.
"Good-bye, my boy; take care of your health," said Mr. Herapath.
"Good-bye, Mark," said Daisy.
"Ta-ta, old man," called Arthur. "See you to-morrow."
This last greeting, strange as it may seem, recurred to Railsford's memory more frequently than any of the others during the course of the long railway journey to Grandcourt. It took all sorts of forms as the day wore on. At first it seemed only a fraternal au revoir, then it became a rather serious promise, and finally sounded in his ears rather like a menace.
Here was he, going down like a prince to his coronation, and his subjects would "see him to-morrow." It had never occurred to him before that these subjects might have something to say to the ordering of the new kingdom, and that he should have to reckon with them, as well as they with him. The idea was not altogether comfortable, and he tried to shelve it. Of course he would get on with them. They would look up to him, and they would discover that his interests and theirs were the same. He was prepared to go some way to meet them. It would be odd if they would not come the rest to meet him. He turned his mind to other subjects. Still he wished he could be quite sure that Arthur's innocent "see you again to-morrow" had no double meaning for him.
The railway took him as far as Blankington Junction, about five miles from Grandcourt; and, as it would be some time before a Grandcourt train came up, he decided, after seeing his effects into a cab, to take advantage of the fine, frosty afternoon, and complete his journey on foot. He was, in fact, beginning to grow a little depressed, and the exercise would brace him up. He had, foolishly enough, looked forward to a somewhat different kind of advent, dropping, perhaps, with some little ?clat on a school where Arthur had already proclaimed his fame among the boys, and where Grover had prepared him a welcome among the masters. Compared with that, this solitary backstairs arrival seemed tame and dispiriting, and he half regretted that he had not postponed his coming till to-morrow, even in the face of Dr. Ponsford's suggestion.
A mile from Grandcourt he caught sight of the square red ivy-covered brick tower of the school among the trees. Even in winter it looked warm and picturesque. It was growing dark when he passed the lodge, and crossed the playing-field towards the school-house. The cabman was awaiting him in the square.
"Never gave me your name," explained he, "and nobody knows nothink about you here. Five miles is seven-and-six, and luggage is two bob more, and waiting another 'alf-hour's a crown,--namely, twelve shillings, and thank you, mister."
Railsford rang the bell at the porter's lodge. A small child of eight appeared.
"Where's your father?" asked the new master.
"Yout," replied the girl.
"Well, your mother?"
"Please, she's--she's in the churchyard along of my Aunt Sally."
"Well, run and-- You mean she's dea--?"
The child nodded before he had finished his sentence.
"Is there anyone about?" inquired the perplexed new-comer.
"There's Mrs. 'Astings, doing the floors in Bickers's."
Mrs. Hastings was duly summoned, and arrived with her broom and kneeling-pad.
"My good woman, can you tell me the fare from Blankington here?"
The lady looked perplexed, then embarrassed, then angry.
"And you fetched me over from Bickers's--me, with my lame foot, over the cobbles--to ask me that! You oughter be ashamed of yerself, young man. Ask the cabman; he knows."
It was hopeless. Railsford assisted to unload the cab, and meekly gave the cabman the fare demanded.
"I am Mr. Railsford, the new master," said he presently, overtaking Mrs. Hastings, as she hobbled back in dudgeon to her work; "which are my rooms?"
"I'm sure I don't know. You're a day too early. All the rooms is up, and it will take us all our times to get them done against the school comes back to-morrow."
"It is an extraordinary thing," said Railsford, who began to feel his dignity somewhat put upon, "that Dr. Ponsford should tell me to come to-day, and that no preparations--"
"'Tain't got to do with me. You'd best go to the doctor's house, out of that gate, across the little square, the house on the far side of the chapel."
Railsford, leaving his luggage stacked on the pavement outside the porter's lodge, started off with flushed cheeks to the lion's den. The doctor, said the maid, was in, but was at dinner. The gentleman had better call again in half an hour.
So Railsford, in the closing twilight, took a savage walk round the school precincts, in no mood to admire the natural beauties of the place, or to indulge in any rhapsodies at this near view of the scene of his coming triumphs. In half an hour he returned,