“What shall I do, Rawdon?” asked Vivian, in a state of nervous alarm. “The doctor will be sure to flog me!”
“Then don’t go near him.”
“But he will come for me.”
“Then mind you are not to be found.”
“What do you mean?”
“Go to your room, get a few underclothes, and run away. Remember where I told you to go. You know where Farmer Glover lives?”
“Yes.”
“Go there. Ask him to keep you till I come.”
“But will he?”
“I am sure he will. He hates Dr. Musgrave, who tried to cheat him out of pay for some hay he bought of him. You’ll find him to be a good friend.”{91}
“It seems a bold thing to do, Rawdon, but if you say I had better, I will be guided by you.”
“That is right. Now lose no time in going to your room, and I will delay matters so that you will have a chance to get away.”
“Shall you go to see the doctor?”
“Yes; I am not afraid of him.”
Jim Rawdon loitered about the quadrangle, and it was nearly fifteen minutes before he presented himself near the office. Simon had been sent out to look for him.
“Why don’t you go to my father’s office?” he demanded.
“There is no hurry,” returned Rawdon, composedly.
“You’ll find out if there isn’t. Pa’s awful mad; I can tell you that.”
“Then he’d better get over it as soon as possible. It isn’t healthy for an old man like him to get into a rage.”
“I hope he’ll flog you!” said Simon, exasperated at Rawdon’s coolness.
“You were always kind and friendly, Simon. Just as sure as he tries to flog me, I’ll flog you!”
“Where is Bell? Has he gone to the office?” said Simon, who felt that Rawdon would be very likely to carry out his threat.{92}
“What have I got to do with Bell? Isn’t he in the office now?”
“If he isn’t it’ll be worse for him. Pa isn’t in a humor to be trifled with.”
Five minutes later Jim Rawdon sauntered into the office of Dr. Musgrave.
The doctor was sitting at his desk. His face was stern and wrathful.
“Where is Bell?” he asked, abruptly.
“I can’t tell you, sir.”
“Wasn’t he with you when my son Simon summoned you to my office?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then how is it you don’t know where Bell is?”
“I am not his guardian, Dr. Musgrave. We separated, and I did not trouble myself to see where he went. Hasn’t he been here?”
“No, he hasn’t,” answered the doctor, sharply. “How happens it that you come so late?”
“Simon didn’t tell me there was any particular hurry.”
“My orders are always to be obeyed at once!”
“Very well, sir.”
“You’d better remember that next time.”
“I am here now. What did you wish to see me about?”{93}
“I understand that you have treated my son Simon with disrespect.”
“Please be more explicit, sir,” said Rawdon, with exasperating coolness.
The doctor bit his lip. He felt that Rawdon was impertinent, though his language was strictly respectful.
“You interfered between him and Bell.”
“I did. I saw that he was bullying Bell, and I interfered to protect Bell.”
“What business was it of yours?”
“Sir,” said Rawdon, with dignity, “I am an English boy, and I can’t stand by and see a younger boy bullied by an older and stronger one.”
“Do you think I will allow you to interfere with my son? If you had any complaints to make, you should have come to me.”
“There was no time for it.”
“Simon tells me that he asked Bell to go to the village on an errand for him.”
“Bell had a headache, and was not fit to run errands.”
“You could have told me that.”
“And in the meantime Bell would have been on his way to the village.”
“Hark you, Rawdon! You are taking too much on yourself!”{94}
Jim Rawdon made no reply.
“And if this continues I shall feel compelled to flog you!”
“I think you had better not, Dr. Musgrave,” said Rawdon, in a significant tone.
“Why not, sir?” demanded the doctor, angrily.
“Because my father won’t permit it. He told me when I came to school to report to him if you laid your hand on me.”
Dr. Musgrave winced. He had reason to believe that Jim told the truth, and he knew that he was under obligations to the senior Rawdon, who might make things uncomfortable.
“I don’t allow any outsider to interfere with my discipline,” he said, “but I will postpone your case till I have dealt with Bell. You say you don’t know where he is?”
“No, sir.”
“Have you any idea where he went when he left you?”
“I think he may have gone to his room.”
“Did he understand that I sent for him?”
“I presume so, Dr. Musgrave. I didn’t ask him.”
“You may go to his room and see if he is there. If so, tell him to come here directly.”
Rawdon left the office.{95}
Outside stood Simon Musgrave.
“Did my father flog you?” he asked, maliciously.
“You had better ask him.”
“I hope he did.”
“By the way, Simon, have you seen Bell?”
“No.”
“Your father thinks he may be in his room. Will you go and tell him, if you find him there, that he is to go to the office?”
This was to Simon an agreeable errand, and without asking whether it was desired by the doctor that he should go, he set off at once.
He returned in a brief space of time, saying:
“I can’t find him.”
“Then you might tell your father; or shall I do so?”
“I’ll go in.”
“I’ve been round to Bell’s room, pa,” he said, “but he isn’t there.”
“Inquire around among the boys if anyone has seen him,” answered the doctor, frowning.
“Did you flog Rawdon?” asked Simon, eagerly.
“Not yet. Do as I told you.”
Inquiry was made among the pupils, but if anyone had seen Vivian Bell, no one would give information on the subject.
At length an under-gardener said: “I seen him{96} going off Bolton way. He had a bundle under his arm. He looked like he was running away.”
“Bell running away!” exclaimed Dr. Musgrave, scandalized. “Why, he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing!”
“You know best, sir,” said the gardener, humbly.
“If he has run away,” said Dr. Musgrave, setting his teeth, “I’ll half kill him when I get him back!”
Jim Rawdon was summoned again.
“Rawdon,” said Dr. Musgrave, abruptly, “has Bell ever said anything to you about running away?”
“Has he run away?” asked Rawdon, innocently, looking immensely surprised.
“Answer my question, sir.”
“I can’t say that he has, sir, although he has complained of being badly treated.”
“No one is badly treated here!” roared the doctor, furiously. “What do you mean by such an insinuation?”
Jim Rawdon did not seem terrified by the doctor’s angry outburst.
“I am not saying he was ill treated,” he replied, “but——”
“Well?”{97}
“I think he was.”
“You are the most impudent boy I have in my school! How dare you talk in this way?”
Rawdon merely shrugged his shoulders.
Dr. Musgrave wished he might set off at once in pursuit of the missing pupil, but he could not break away from his duties.
“I’ll go for him, pa,” volunteered Simon.
“No; I will wait till to-morrow morning, and go myself.”
“But he may get away for good and all!”
“He can’t go far, for he has no money. I am not afraid of losing him.”