FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>   >|  
, he was a hero. Every one seemed to take an interest in his black eye and sore cheek, from Mr Rastle downwards. Very likely that fight of his with Loman yesterday would be recorded as long as Saint Dominic's remained, as the event which saved the lower school from the tyranny of the upper! His way to the chemist's lay past the turning up to the Cockchafer, and the idea occurred to him to turn in on the way back and talk over the event of the hour with Mr Cripps, whom he had not seen since the bagatelle-lesson a week ago. He was sure that good gentleman would sympathise with him, and most likely praise him; and in any case it would be only civil, after promising to come and see him sometimes, to look in. The only thing was that the Cockchafer, whatever one might say about it, was a public-house. The private door at the side hardly sufficed to satisfy Stephen that he was not breaking rules by going in. He would not have entered by the public door for worlds, and the thought did occur to him, Was there very much difference after all between one door and the other? However, he had not answered the question before he found himself inside, shaking hands with Mr Cripps. That gentleman was of course delighted, and profuse in his gratitude to the "young swell" for looking him up. He listened with profound interest and sympathy to his story, and made some very fierce remarks about what he would do to "that there" Loman if he got hold of him. Then the subject of bagatelle happened to come up, and presently Stephen was again delighting and astonishing the good gentleman by his skill in that game. Then in due time it came out that the boy's mother had bought him a bicycle, and he was going to learn in the holidays, a resolution Mr Cripps highly approved of, and was certain a clever young fellow like him would learn in no time, which greatly pleased Stephen. Before parting, Mr Cripps insisted on lending his young friend a lantern for his bicycle, when he rode it in the dark. It was a specially good one, he said, and the young gentleman could easily return it to him after the holidays, and so on. Altogether it was a delightful visit, and Stephen wondered more than ever how some of the fellows could think ill of Mr Cripps. "Oh, I say," said the boy, at parting; "don't do what you said you would to Loman. I'm not afraid of him, you know." "I'd like to knock his ugly head off for him!" cried Mr Cripps, indignant
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Cripps
 

gentleman

 

Stephen

 

holidays

 

Cockchafer

 
bicycle
 
bagatelle
 

parting

 
public
 

interest


mother

 

gratitude

 
fierce
 

sympathy

 
bought
 

profound

 
listened
 
subject
 

happened

 

presently


delighting

 

astonishing

 

remarks

 

friend

 

fellows

 

wondered

 

indignant

 

afraid

 

delightful

 

Altogether


greatly

 
pleased
 

Before

 

insisted

 

fellow

 
highly
 

approved

 
clever
 

lending

 
profuse

specially
 

easily

 
return
 
lantern
 

resolution

 

turning

 
occurred
 

tyranny

 
chemist
 

lesson