Head.
‘I took the little fool’s cap,’ he answered sheepishly.
‘Why, may I ask?’
‘Oh, it was just a rag.’
Droopy’s pale blue eyes hardened. ‘I vow you had a deeper reason. You did it to force a fight on young Brook. The love of fighting for fighting’s sake is forgivable in the little savages of Lower School, but you will be moving into Upper School next term, and it ill becomes a fellow of your age to act the bully and the bore. Retrieve Brook’s cap now, and give it to him.’
Gunston hesitated only a second, then he picked up Roger’s cap and handed it over.
‘Now shake hands,’ Droopy ordered.
As they obeyed, with ill-concealed reluctance, he looked at Roger and went on: ‘You are about to wait on Old Toby, are you not? I have just come from him and he was speaking of you. He was saying that you show great promise, particularly in languages and English composition. Such gifts may incline you to enter public life. As you may know, I am leaving this term to start on the Tour, but I shall be back in England in three or four years’ time. If in the future I can be of any service to you, pray command me. You will always be able to obtain news of my whereabouts from Amesbury House, in Arlington Street.’
Roger made him a little formal bow. That is most kind of you, Lord Edward.’ His quick wit led him to use the title deliberately in recognition of the fact that Droopy Ned wasvirtually no longer a schoolfellow, but, on leaving, had become a man.
A smile of appreciation showed in the pale blue eyes. ‘I see you have the making of a man of parts, Mr. Brook, but I shall always remain “Droopy” to my friends, and I hope that I may count you among them.’
Gunston had been standing by with a surly look on his face, and he now shuffled his feet awkwardly. Droopy glanced at him and went on: ‘I must continue my farewells, so I will not detain either of you longer.’
As Gunston turned away with a muttered ‘Good-bye’ Roger said: ‘I envy you vastly going abroad. I would give anything to travel.’
Droopy nodded. ‘No doubt you will, one day. In the meantime all good fortune to you. Pray remember to come and see me on my return.’
‘Indeed, I will. The best of fortune on your journey and my duty to you for rescuing me just now.’
‘ ’Twas a pleasure.’ With another airy wave of his scented handkerchief Droopy Ned followed Gunston down the corridor.
The three were not destined to meet again for several years, but if Roger could have seen into the future it would have been revealed to him that both the others were to enter his life at many of the most important crises in it.
Again and again he was to come up against the pig-headed stupidity of Gunston, as Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and, finally as General Sir George on the field of Waterloo. While Droopy Ned was to prove a powerful friend and wise counsellor in the tortuous path that he, Roger Brook, was to tread, as Mr. Pitt’s principal secret agent during the dark days of the French Revolution and the mighty struggle against Napoleon.
2
A Knotty Problem
The Reverend Mr. Tobias Chapwode, or ‘Old Toby’ as he was called by the boys of his House, was by no means one of the most popular masters. His real interest lay in his own special subject, English History, upon which he had written several scholarly books. Had he had an income of his own he would have retired to devote himself exclusively to these studies, but he was dependent on his stipend and so compelled to remain at Sherborne although his duties there often conflicted with his private work.
In consequence, whenever he was immersed in a particularly tricky passage of his writings he became extremely lax and discipline suffered. Then, suddenly becoming aware of this, to restore the situation he would pounce and punish with considerable severity. As the boys were unaware of the cause of this inconsistency in his treatment of them, they were naturally apt to
‘I took the little fool’s cap,’ he answered sheepishly.
‘Why, may I ask?’
‘Oh, it was just a rag.’
Droopy’s pale blue eyes hardened. ‘I vow you had a deeper reason. You did it to force a fight on young Brook. The love of fighting for fighting’s sake is forgivable in the little savages of Lower School, but you will be moving into Upper School next term, and it ill becomes a fellow of your age to act the bully and the bore. Retrieve Brook’s cap now, and give it to him.’
Gunston hesitated only a second, then he picked up Roger’s cap and handed it over.
‘Now shake hands,’ Droopy ordered.
As they obeyed, with ill-concealed reluctance, he looked at Roger and went on: ‘You are about to wait on Old Toby, are you not? I have just come from him and he was speaking of you. He was saying that you show great promise, particularly in languages and English composition. Such gifts may incline you to enter public life. As you may know, I am leaving this term to start on the Tour, but I shall be back in England in three or four years’ time. If in the future I can be of any service to you, pray command me. You will always be able to obtain news of my whereabouts from Amesbury House, in Arlington Street.’
Roger made him a little formal bow. That is most kind of you, Lord Edward.’ His quick wit led him to use the title deliberately in recognition of the fact that Droopy Ned wasvirtually no longer a schoolfellow, but, on leaving, had become a man.
A smile of appreciation showed in the pale blue eyes. ‘I see you have the making of a man of parts, Mr. Brook, but I shall always remain “Droopy” to my friends, and I hope that I may count you among them.’
Gunston had been standing by with a surly look on his face, and he now shuffled his feet awkwardly. Droopy glanced at him and went on: ‘I must continue my farewells, so I will not detain either of you longer.’
As Gunston turned away with a muttered ‘Good-bye’ Roger said: ‘I envy you vastly going abroad. I would give anything to travel.’
Droopy nodded. ‘No doubt you will, one day. In the meantime all good fortune to you. Pray remember to come and see me on my return.’
‘Indeed, I will. The best of fortune on your journey and my duty to you for rescuing me just now.’
‘ ’Twas a pleasure.’ With another airy wave of his scented handkerchief Droopy Ned followed Gunston down the corridor.
The three were not destined to meet again for several years, but if Roger could have seen into the future it would have been revealed to him that both the others were to enter his life at many of the most important crises in it.
Again and again he was to come up against the pig-headed stupidity of Gunston, as Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and, finally as General Sir George on the field of Waterloo. While Droopy Ned was to prove a powerful friend and wise counsellor in the tortuous path that he, Roger Brook, was to tread, as Mr. Pitt’s principal secret agent during the dark days of the French Revolution and the mighty struggle against Napoleon.
2
A Knotty Problem
The Reverend Mr. Tobias Chapwode, or ‘Old Toby’ as he was called by the boys of his House, was by no means one of the most popular masters. His real interest lay in his own special subject, English History, upon which he had written several scholarly books. Had he had an income of his own he would have retired to devote himself exclusively to these studies, but he was dependent on his stipend and so compelled to remain at Sherborne although his duties there often conflicted with his private work.
In consequence, whenever he was immersed in a particularly tricky passage of his writings he became extremely lax and discipline suffered. Then, suddenly becoming aware of this, to restore the situation he would pounce and punish with considerable severity. As the boys were unaware of the cause of this inconsistency in his treatment of them, they were naturally apt to
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