The Rovers Secret | Page 7

was just beginning to
thirst; and I wished him to understand, too, how welcome would be the
companionship of the other boys, after so lonely a life as mine had been.
But to make all this clear to him through my imperfect method of
expressing myself would have involved quite a long speech on my part;
and, as my eager glance fell on his unsympathetic face, the words failed
me, and I held my peace.
"The school I have selected is a large one," my father continued. "I am
informed that the pupils at present number over two hundred; and it is
quite in the country. The principal encourages every kind of innocent
pastime, such as cricket, football, swimming, skating in the winter, and
so on; so you will not lack amusements--the necessaries for joining in
which I will take care that you shall be provided with. And I have
arranged that, for the present, you shall receive from the headmaster
sixpence a week as pocket-money--a sum which I consider quite
sufficient for a boy of your age. With regard to your studies, I would
urge you to make the most of your opportunities; as, on the completion
of your education, you will have to make your own way in the world.
My profession, as you will perhaps better understand later on, is
somewhat a precarious one. As long as I retain my health and strength
and the unimpaired use of all my faculties, matters will no doubt go

well with me; but accident, disease, or the loss of sight may at any
moment interrupt my labours or stop them altogether: in which case my
income, which I derive solely from the use of my brush, would cease
altogether. You will easily comprehend, therefore, that it would be
unwise in the extreme for you to depend upon me in any way to
provide for your future. Now, do you think you clearly comprehend
what I have been saying?"
I replied, `Yes, I believed I did.' I wanted to add that there was one
thing, however, that I did not understand, which was, how a father
could communicate to his only child so lengthy an explanation on a
subject of so much importance without giving one word or sign of
affection to that child, and that I was most earnestly anxious to know
the reason, if any, for so marked an omission; but, whilst I was
hesitating how to frame my remark in such a manner as to avoid the
giving of offence, my father rose from before his easel, and, unlocking
a cabinet which stood in the room, said:
"One word more. You will probably be asked by your companions all
manner of questions about your home and your parents. Now, with
regard to your mother, you know nothing about her beyond, possibly,
the fact that she died when you were born; and that is quite as much as
I consider it needful for you to know. But you may perhaps be glad to
be made acquainted with her personal appearance; you may, possibly,
at some future day--if you have not already experienced such a
desire--be anxious to possess the means of bringing her before you as
something more than a mere name. I will therefore give you this
miniature, which is a correct and striking likeness of what your mother
was when I painted it."
And, as he finished speaking, my father placed in my hand a small
velvet case, to which was attached a thin gold chain by which it might
be suspended from the neck.
I was about to open the case; but my father somewhat hastily prevented
the action by throwing the chain round my neck, thrusting the miniature
into the bosom of my dress, and dismissing me with the words:

"There! run away now and make your preparations. We shall set out for
your school to-morrow, immediately after breakfast."
I hastened away to my play-room, and, once fairly within the bounds of
my own domain, drew forth the miniature case and opened it. As the lid
flew back at the pressure of my finger upon the spring a thrill of half
joy, half terror, shot through me; for I instantly recognised in the
features of the portrait a vivid presentment of that sweet dream-face
whose visits to me during the silent and lonely night-watches had
flooded my infant soul with such an ecstasy of rapture and delight. The
portrait, which is before me as I write, was that of a young and
beautiful girl. The complexion was clearest, faintest, most transparent
olive; the face a perfect oval, crowned with luxuriant masses of wavy,
deep chestnut hair, the colour almost merging into black; indeed it
would have been difficult to decide that it was not black but for