The Willoughby Captains | Page 9

"I'm in for it hot to-
day."
"I'll prompt you all I can," said the repentant Telson.
"Thanks; I'd do the same to you if I could," replied Parson.
"It is a long lane that has no turning," as the proverb says, and Parson,
after all, was destined to enjoy one brief glimpse of the smiles of
fortune that day. The first boy put up to translate stumbled over a
somewhat intricate point of syntax. Now Mr Warton, the master--as the
manner of many masters is--was writing a little book on Latin Syntax,
and this particular passage happened to be a superb example of a
certain style of construction which till this moment had escaped his
notice. Delighted with the discovery, he launched out into a short
lecture on the subject generally, citing all the examples he had already
got in his book, and comparing them with other forms of construction
to be found scattered through the entire range of Latin classical
literature.
How Parson and Telson enjoyed that lecture! They listened to it with
rapt attention with hearts full of gratitude and faces full of sympathy.
They did not understand a word of it, but a chapter out of "Midshipman
Easy" could not have delighted them more; and when they saw that the
clock had slowly worked round from nine to ten they would not have
interrupted it for the world.

"Ah!" said Mr Warton, taking out his watch, "I see time's up. We've
had more Syntax than Caesar to-day. Never mind, it's a point worth
remarking, and sure to be useful as you get on in Latin. The class is
dismissed."
Little he knew the joy his words carried to two small hearts in his
audience.
"Jolly good luck that!" said Parson, as he strolled out into the passage
arm-in-arm with his friend. "Now if I can only get those beastly verbs
done before Coates asks for them! I say, Telson, do you know the
dodge for sticking three nibs on one pen and writing three lines all at
one time?"
"Tried it once," said Telson, "but it didn't pay. It took longer to keep
sticking them in when they fell out, and measuring them to write on the
lines, than to write the thing twice over the ordinary way. I'll write out
part, old man."
"Thanks, Telson, you're an awful brick. I suppose Riddell wouldn't
think it wicked of you to write another fellow's impot, would he?"
"I half fancy he would; but I won't tell him. Hullo! though, here comes
Coates."
A monitor wearing his "mortar-board" approached.
"Where's your imposition, Parson?" he asked.
"I'm awfully sorry," said Parson, "but it's not quite done yet, Coates."
"How much is done?" demanded Coates.
"Not any yet," said Parson, with some confusion. "I was just going to
begin. Wasn't I, Telson?"
"Won't do," said Coates; "you were up the river this morning, I saw you.
If you can go up the river you can do your impositions. Better come
with me to the captain."

Coming with a monitor to the captain meant something unpleasant. The
discipline of Willoughby, particularly in outside matters, was left
almost entirely in the hands of the monitors, who with the captain, their
head, were responsible as a body to the head master for the order of the
school. It was very rarely that a case had to go beyond the monitors,
whose authority was usually sufficient to enable them to deal
summarily with all ordinary offenders.
It was by no means the first time that Parson, who was reputed by
almost every one but himself and Telson to be an incorrigible scamp,
had been haled away to this awful tribunal, and he was half regretting
that he had not met his fate over the Caesar after all, and so escaped his
present position, when another monitor appeared down the passage and
met them. It was Ashley.
"Hullo! Coates," said he, "I wish you'd come to my study and help me
choose half a dozen trout-flies, there's a good fellow. I've had a book up
from the town, and I don't know which are the best to use."
"All serene," said Coates, "I'll be there directly. I'm just going to take
this youngster to the captain."
"Who is the captain?" said Ashley. "Wyndham's gone, and no one's
been named yet that I know of. I suppose it's Bloomfield."
"Eh? I never thought of that. No, I expect it'll be a schoolhouse fellow.
Always is, isn't it. Parson, you can go. Bring me twelve French verbs
written out to my study before chapel to-morrow. Come on, Ashley."
And Parson departed, consoled in spirit, to announce to Telson and the
lower school generally that Willoughby was at present without a
captain.
CHAPTER THREE.
THE VACANT CAPTAINCY.
Who was to