The Journeying Boy Read Free Page A

grew when the father was a towering person like Paxton. What was diminutive in Mr Thewless drew him for a moment into an attitude of pleased superiority.
    But this was to take the matter basely. One has the duty of reverencing genius in its frailties as well as in its strength. And certainly it was not for Mr Thewless, confronting the intellectual beacon that was Paxton, to pride himself on the continued independence of his own flickering farthing candle. In any perplexity into which this great man had fallen it was his duty to assist to the maximum of his power… This resolution on the part of Mr Thewless, which was sincere and generous, added considerably to the jolt he was presently to experience. But, as it happened, it was to have consequences far wider than that. Upon it, and in the near future, imponderable things were to hang.
    Meanwhile, Mr Thewless discoursed on School Certificate. ‘Still,’ he said, ‘substantially below the standard? I am afraid there must be something very far wrong. Is he a capable boy?’
    With parents, this was one of Mr Thewless’ strongest words. A small boy who was likely enough to become a Senior Wrangler or a Fellow of Balliol he would by no means describe in terms more extravagant. And this he had found was a capital technique.
    ‘Capable?’ Sir Bernard sounded dubious. ‘Humphrey’s intelligence quotient is fair. In fact it is very high so far as the common run of able people go. But he does seem to be retarded in certain respects.’
    Mr Thewless wondered whether he himself might be ranked among the common run of able people. He doubted it.
    ‘On the other hand’ – Sir Bernard spoke with an effort – ‘there are matters in which he is uncommonly precocious. That is particularly so in – um – the sphere of the emotional life.’
    This sounded far from promising. Mr Thewless considered. ‘But he has at least held his place at school?’
    Sir Bernard looked extremely gloomy. ‘They wouldn’t be in a hurry to turn out my son, you know. I doubt whether latterly the position has been other than that. Humphrey is somewhat ungovernable, as I said.’
    ‘But the holidays have begun, and he is at home? I think I had better see the boy, Sir Bernard, before even the most tentative arrangement is made.’
    ‘That is very reasonable. And I believe Humphrey is actually in the house at this moment. Only – it is really rather an awkward thing – he is at present quite resolved not to show himself.’
    Mr Thewless, receiving this information, was expressively silent.
    ‘But he is quite keen on a certain holiday that has been proposed. Cousins on my late wife’s side – folk, actually, whom I seldom meet – have asked him to join them in Ireland for a month. It is there that I would wish you to accompany him, and keep him to his reading as well as you can. If Humphrey is given to understand that he may only go on condition that he has a tutor–’
    ‘I quite understand.’ And Mr Thewless was indeed perfectly familiar with bargaining and compromising parents. ‘Do these cousins live permanently in Ireland?’
    ‘I know almost nothing about them. But I imagine they merely have a place there to which they go at this time of year for shooting and diversions of that sort.’
    ‘In fact, the proposal would be that I should take Humphrey for purposes of study to what will probably prove to be a large house-party in a hunting-lodge or shooting-box? I hardly think that such conditions would be likely to favour application in a wayward lad.’
    Sir Bernard looked harassed and depressed. ‘I quite see the force of what you say. And you do very well to insist on it. Only–’
    At this moment there came a low buzzing sound from somewhere on the exquisitely lacquered table behind which Sir Bernard sat. With a word of apology, he picked up a telephone receiver. It was merely an instrument, Mr Thewless conjectured, by which he maintained communication with other parts of this