The Rovers Secret | Page 9

my
seeing him. I was continually in hopes that, as we were unable to meet
at holiday-time, he would run down into the country and pay me a visit,
but he never did, and this was another disappointment.
At length, however, an end came to my disappointment and to my
school- days together; for, on the morning of my fifteenth birthday, I
was sent for by the principal of the school, who, after complimenting
me upon my diligence and the progress I had made whilst under his
care, informed me that the day had arrived when my school-boy life
was to cease, and when I must go out into the world and commence
that great battle of life, which all of us have to fight in one shape or
another. He added to his communication some most excellent advice,
the value of which I have since had abundant opportunity of proving;
and concluded with the announcement that my father would make his
appearance that same evening and take me away with him.
Within a quarter of an hour of the time specified, the grinding sound of
wheels upon the gravel drive in front of the building suggested the
probability that the moment of my departure was at hand; and, a few
minutes later, I was summoned to the library to meet my father. With
my heart throbbing high with mingled feelings of joy and trepidation, I
hastened to the spot, and, before I well knew where I was, found myself
in the presence of the parent who had allowed seven full years to elapse
without an attempt to see his only child. For an instant--which sufficed

me to note that those seven years had left abundant traces of their
passage on the once almost unwrinkled brow--we stood gazing with
equal intentness in each others' faces; then my father grasped the
outstretched hand which I offered, and said, somewhat constrainedly:
"So this is the once quiet dreamy little Leo, is it? I am glad to see you
once more, my boy; glad to see you looking so strong and well--so
wonderfully improved in appearance in every way, in fact; and glad,
too, to hear that Dr Tomlinson is able to confirm so thoroughly the
good reports of your conduct which he has sent me from time to time."
He paused, and I was about to make a suitable answer to his greeting,
when he continued--half unconsciously, it seemed to me, but with a
quite perceptible ring of harshness in his voice:
"You are wonderfully like your mother, boy; no one who knew her
would ever mistake you for anyone else than her son."
The words were simple, but were accompanied by such a regretful look,
deepening into a baleful frown as he regarded me fixedly, that I was
completely startled, and in fact so overwhelmed with astonishment that,
for the moment, I was quite unable to make any reply; and before I
could recover myself my father appeared to have become conscious of
his singularity of manner, which he evidently overcame by a very
powerful effort. Laying his hand somewhat heavily upon my shoulder,
he said:
"Do not be frightened, Leo; I have been far from well lately, and my
illness seems to have slightly affected my brain; sometimes I detect
myself saying things which I had not the remotest intention of saying a
moment before. If you should observe any little peculiarity of that kind
in me, take no notice of it, let it pass. And now, if your boxes are all
ready--as I suppose they are--let them be brought down and put on the
chaise; we shall sleep in Poole to-night, and we can converse at the
hotel, over a good dinner, as well as here."
An hour later we were discussing that same good dinner, and
maintaining a tolerably animated conversation over it, too. My father
put a few adroit questions to me relative to my school experiences,

which had the effect of "drawing me out," and he listened to all I had to
say with just that appearance of friendly interest which is so flattering
and encouraging to a youthful talker. His treatment of me was
everything that could be desired--except that he seemed to be rather
taking the ground of an elder friend than of a parent. I should have
preferred a shade less of the polite suavity of his manner and a more
distinct manifestation of fatherly affection. He seemed anxious to
efface the memory of the singularity which marked our first meeting;
and yet I thought that, later on in the evening, when our conversation
assumed a more general character, I could detect a disposition on his
part to again approach the subject, these approaches being accompanied
by a very perceptible nervousness and constraint of manner.