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In Search of Treasure
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“Don’t you go, Bell,” he said. “I’ll stand by you.”
“Look here, Rawdon, don’t put in your oar! You’ll get into trouble!”
“Who’s going to get me into trouble?”
“I am.”
“Come on, then!” and Jim Rawdon put himself in an attitude of defence.
“Oh, I sha’n’t touch you! I’d scorn to fight you; but I’ll report you and Bell to my father.”
“I’ve been reported to your father before now,” said Rawdon, significantly.
It was quite true that Jim Rawdon had little to fear from Dr. Musgrave. He was a resolute and determined boy, who would not permit anyone to impose upon him.
His father was a wealthy merchant in London, and it so happened that Dr. Musgrave was under a pecuniary obligation to the senior Rawdon to the extent of five hundred pounds. These two considerations made Jim a privileged character.
Simon, however, knew nothing of the pecuniary relations between his father and Mr. Rawdon, and was now thoroughly incensed, especially when Rawdon, taking Vivian Bell under his protection, walked off with him.
“I’ll go and complain to my father!” exclaimed Simon, wrathfully.
“Go along! Come with me, Vivian!”
Vivian, influenced by the older and stronger boy, obeyed him.
“Now, Vivian,” said Rawdon, “tell me why you let that brute impose upon you?”
“Because I can’t help it, Rawdon.”
“That’s something I wouldn’t say.”
“You don’t need to. You are strong—oh, so strong!” returned Vivian, admiringly.
“I am not as strong as Dr. Musgrave, but he never touches me.”
“He has flogged me often.”
“The old brute! And yet you are always gentle and inoffensive.”
“I try to be good and obey the rules, but the doctor is always finding fault with me.”
“That’s his way.”
“I can’t seem to please him.”
“Then why don’t you give it up?”
“I don’t understand you, Rawdon.”
“Then I’ll tell you, Vivian. If I were treated as you are I’d leave the school.”
“But how can I?”
“Who put you here?”
“My guardian.”
“Then why don’t you ask him to take you away?”
“I’ll tell you something, Rawdon, if you won’t tell.”
“Of course I won’t tell! What do you take me for?”
“I wrote to my guardian four months ago, telling him how I was treated here.”
“Four months ago! And haven’t you had any answer?”
“No. You see, he lives in Bombay.”
Jim Rawdon whistled.
“Bombay! That’s a terrible distance off!”
“Yes. It takes a long time for a letter to reach there. That’s the reason I haven’t yet heard from him?”
“Did you ask him to take you away?”
“Yes; and I do hope he will.”
“Very likely he won’t. If he lives so far off, very likely he won’t take any trouble in the matter.”
“Oh, I hope he will!”
“If I were you I would take the matter into my own hands. I’d run away!”
Vivian Bell almost gasped at the daring suggestion.
“But what could I do if I did run away? I haven’t any money; that is, I have only half a crown.”
“I’ve got two half-sovereigns, and you may have one of them.”
“You’re awfully kind, Rawdon. Would you really advise me to run away?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Where shall I go first?”
“There’s a farmer four miles away on the Bolton Road. His name is Giles Glover. Go there and ask him to keep you for a couple of days. You can pay him, you know. Tell him I sent you. He’s a friend of mine.”
“Look here, Rawdon, don’t put in your oar! You’ll get into trouble!”
“Who’s going to get me into trouble?”
“I am.”
“Come on, then!” and Jim Rawdon put himself in an attitude of defence.
“Oh, I sha’n’t touch you! I’d scorn to fight you; but I’ll report you and Bell to my father.”
“I’ve been reported to your father before now,” said Rawdon, significantly.
It was quite true that Jim Rawdon had little to fear from Dr. Musgrave. He was a resolute and determined boy, who would not permit anyone to impose upon him.
His father was a wealthy merchant in London, and it so happened that Dr. Musgrave was under a pecuniary obligation to the senior Rawdon to the extent of five hundred pounds. These two considerations made Jim a privileged character.
Simon, however, knew nothing of the pecuniary relations between his father and Mr. Rawdon, and was now thoroughly incensed, especially when Rawdon, taking Vivian Bell under his protection, walked off with him.
“I’ll go and complain to my father!” exclaimed Simon, wrathfully.
“Go along! Come with me, Vivian!”
Vivian, influenced by the older and stronger boy, obeyed him.
“Now, Vivian,” said Rawdon, “tell me why you let that brute impose upon you?”
“Because I can’t help it, Rawdon.”
“That’s something I wouldn’t say.”
“You don’t need to. You are strong—oh, so strong!” returned Vivian, admiringly.
“I am not as strong as Dr. Musgrave, but he never touches me.”
“He has flogged me often.”
“The old brute! And yet you are always gentle and inoffensive.”
“I try to be good and obey the rules, but the doctor is always finding fault with me.”
“That’s his way.”
“I can’t seem to please him.”
“Then why don’t you give it up?”
“I don’t understand you, Rawdon.”
“Then I’ll tell you, Vivian. If I were treated as you are I’d leave the school.”
“But how can I?”
“Who put you here?”
“My guardian.”
“Then why don’t you ask him to take you away?”
“I’ll tell you something, Rawdon, if you won’t tell.”
“Of course I won’t tell! What do you take me for?”
“I wrote to my guardian four months ago, telling him how I was treated here.”
“Four months ago! And haven’t you had any answer?”
“No. You see, he lives in Bombay.”
Jim Rawdon whistled.
“Bombay! That’s a terrible distance off!”
“Yes. It takes a long time for a letter to reach there. That’s the reason I haven’t yet heard from him?”
“Did you ask him to take you away?”
“Yes; and I do hope he will.”
“Very likely he won’t. If he lives so far off, very likely he won’t take any trouble in the matter.”
“Oh, I hope he will!”
“If I were you I would take the matter into my own hands. I’d run away!”
Vivian Bell almost gasped at the daring suggestion.
“But what could I do if I did run away? I haven’t any money; that is, I have only half a crown.”
“I’ve got two half-sovereigns, and you may have one of them.”
“You’re awfully kind, Rawdon. Would you really advise me to run away?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Where shall I go first?”
“There’s a farmer four miles away on the Bolton Road. His name is Giles Glover. Go there and ask him to keep you for a couple of days. You can pay him, you know. Tell him I sent you. He’s a friend of mine.”
Другие электронные книги автора Horatio Alger
Последний отзыв
Так получилось, что книга ко мне попала в тяжелый эмоциональный кризис и многое мне дала. Написано актуально, тут многих полезных вещей, никакого злоу...
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