Just William Read online

  CHAPTER IV

  THE FALL OF THE IDOL

  William was bored. He sat at his desk in the sunny schoolroom and gazeddispassionately at a row of figures on the blackboard.

  "It isn't _sense_," he murmured scornfully.

  Miss Drew was also bored, but, unlike William, she tried to hide thefact.

  "If the interest on a hundred pounds for one year is five pounds," shesaid wearily, then, "William Brown, do sit up and don't look so stupid!"

  William changed his position from that of lolling over one side of hisdesk to that of lolling over the other, and began to justify himself.

  "Well, I can't unner_stand_ any of it. It's enough to make anyone lookstupid when he can't unner_stand_ any of it. I can't think why people goon givin' people bits of money for givin' 'em lots of money and go onan' on doin' it. It dun't seem sense. Anyone's a mug for givin' anyone ahundred pounds just 'cause he says he'll go on givin' him five poundsand go on stickin' to his hundred pounds. How's he to _know_ he will?Well," he warmed to his subject, "what's to stop him not givin' any fivepounds once he's got hold of the hundred pounds an' goin' on stickin'to the hundred pounds----"

  Miss Drew checked him by a slim, upraised hand.

  "William," she said patiently, "just listen to me. Now suppose," hereyes roved round the room and settled on a small red-haired boy,"suppose that Eric wanted a hundred pounds for something and you lent itto him----"

  "I wun't lend Eric a hundred pounds," he said firmly, "'cause I ha'n'tgot it. I've only got 31/2d., an' I wun't lend that to Eric, 'cause I'mnot such a mug, 'cause I lent him my mouth-organ once an' he bit a bitoff an'----"

  Miss Drew interrupted sharply. Teaching on a hot afternoon is rathertrying.

  "You'd better stay in after school, William, and I'll explain."

  William scowled, emitted his monosyllable of scornful disdain "Huh!" andrelapsed into gloom.

  He brightened, however, on remembering a lizard he had caught on the wayto school, and drew it from its hiding-place in his pocket. But thelizard had abandoned the unequal struggle for existence among thestones, top, penknife, bits of putty, and other small objects thatinhabited William's pocket. The housing problem had been too much forit.

  William in disgust shrouded the remains in blotting paper, and disposedof it in his neighbour's ink-pot. The neighbour protested and anenlivening scrimmage ensued.

  Finally the lizard was dropped down the neck of an inveterate enemy ofWilliam's in the next row, and was extracted only with the help ofobliging friends. Threats of vengeance followed, couched inblood-curdling terms, and written on blotting-paper.

  Meanwhile Miss Drew explained Simple Practice to a small but earnestcoterie of admirers in the front row. And William, in the back row,whiled away the hours for which his father paid the educationauthorities a substantial sum.

  But his turn was to come.

  At the end of afternoon school one by one the class departed, leavingWilliam only nonchalantly chewing an india-rubber and glaring at MissDrew.

  "Now, William."

  Miss Drew was severely patient.

  William went up to the platform and stood by her desk.

  "You see, if someone borrows a hundred pounds from someone else----"

  She wrote down the figures on a piece of paper, bending low over herdesk. The sun poured in through the window, showing the little goldencurls in the nape of her neck. She lifted to William eyes that werestern and frowning, but blue as blue above flushed cheeks.

  "Don't you _see_, William?" she said.

  There was a faint perfume about her, and William the devil-may-carepirate and robber-chief, the stern despiser of all things effeminate,felt the first dart of the malicious blind god. He blushed and simpered.

  "Yes, I see all about it now," he assured her. "You've explained it allplain now. I cudn't unner_stand_ it before. It's a bit soft--in'tit--anyway, to go lending hundred pounds about just 'cause someonesays they'll give you five pounds next year. Some folks is mugs. But Ido unner_stand_ now. I cudn't unnerstand it before."

  WILLIAM FELT THE FIRST DART OF THE LITTLE BLIND GOD. HEBLUSHED AND SIMPERED.]

  "You'd have found it simpler if you hadn't played with dead lizards allthe time," she said wearily, closing her books.

  William gasped.

  He went home her devoted slave. Certain members of the class alwaysdeposited dainty bouquets on her desk in the morning. William wasdetermined to outshine the rest. He went into the garden with a largebasket and a pair of scissors the next morning before he set out forschool.

  It happened that no one was about. He went first to the hothouse. It wasa riot of colour. He worked there with a thoroughness and concentrationworthy of a nobler cause. He came out staggering beneath a piled-upbasket of hothouse blooms. The hothouse itself was bare and desolate.

  Hearing a sound in the back garden he hastily decided to delay nolonger, but to set out to school at once. He set out as unostentatiouslyas possible.

  Miss Drew, entering her class-room, was aghast to see instead of theusual small array of buttonholes on her desk, a mass of alreadywithering hothouse flowers completely covering her desk and chair.

  William was a boy who never did things by halves.

  "Good Heavens!" she cried in consternation.

  William blushed with pleasure.

  He changed his seat to one in the front row. All that morning he sat,his eyes fixed on her earnestly, dreaming of moments in which herescued her from robbers and pirates (here he was somewhat inconsistentwith his own favourite _role_ of robber-chief and pirate), and bore herfainting in his strong arms to safety. Then she clung to him in love andgratitude, and they were married at once by the Archbishops ofCanterbury and York.

  William would have no half-measures. They were to be married by theArchbishops of Canterbury and York, or else the Pope. He wasn't surethat he wouldn't rather have the Pope. He would wear his black piratesuit with the skull and cross-bones. No, that would not do----

  "What have I just been saying, William?" said Miss Drew.

  William coughed and gazed at her soulfully.

  "'Bout lendin' money?" he said, hopefully.

  "William!" she snapped. "This isn't an arithmetic lesson. I'm trying toteach you about the Armada."

  "Oh, _that_!" said William brightly and ingratiatingly. "Oh, yes."

  "Tell me something about it."

  "I don't _know_ anything--not jus' yet----"

  "I've been _telling_ you about it. I do wish you'd listen," she saiddespairingly.

  William relapsed into silence, nonplussed, but by no means cowed.

  When he reached home that evening he found that the garden was the sceneof excitement and hubbub. One policeman was measuring the panes of glassin the conservatory door, and another was on his knees examining thebeds near. His grown-up sister, Ethel, was standing at the front door.

  "Every single flower has been stolen from the conservatory some timethis morning," she said excitedly. "We've only just been able to get thepolice. William, did you see any one about when you went to school thismorning?"

  William pondered deeply. His most guileless and innocent expression cameto his face.

  "No," he said at last. "No, Ethel, I didn't see nobody."

  William coughed and discreetly withdrew.

  That evening he settled down at the library table, spreading out hisbooks around him, a determined frown upon his small face.

  His father was sitting in an armchair by the window reading the eveningpaper.

  "Father," said William suddenly, "s'pose I came to you an' said you wasto give me a hundred pounds an' I'd give you five pounds next year an'so on, would you give it me?"

  "I should not, my son," said his father firmly.

  William sighed.

  "I knew there was something wrong with it," he said.

  Mr. Brown returned to the leading article, but not for long.

  "Father, what was the date of the Armada?"

  "Good Heavens! Ho
w should I know? I wasn't there."

  William sighed.

  "Well, I'm tryin' to write about it and why it failed an'--why did itfail?"

  Mr. Brown groaned, gathered up his paper, and retired to thedining-room.

  He had almost finished the leading article when William appeared, hisarms full of books, and sat down quietly at the table.

  "Father, what's the French for 'my aunt is walking in the garden'?"

  "What on earth are you doing?" said Mr. Brown irritably.

  "I'm doing my home-lessons," said William virtuously.

  "I never even knew you had the things to do."

  "No," William admitted gently, "I don't generally take much bother overthem, but I'm goin' to now--'cause Miss Drew"--he blushed slightly andpaused--"'cause Miss Drew"--he blushed more deeply and began to stammer,"'c--cause Miss Drew"--he was almost apoplectic.

  Mr. Brown quietly gathered up his paper and crept out to the verandah,where his wife sat with the week's mending.

  "William's gone raving mad in the dining-room," he said pleasantly, ashe sat down. "Takes the form of a wild thirst for knowledge, and ababbling of a Miss Drawing, or Drew, or something. He's best leftalone."

  Mrs. Brown merely smiled placidly over the mending.

  Mr. Brown had finished one leading article and begun another beforeWilliam appeared again. He stood in the doorway frowning and stern.

  "Father, what's the capital of Holland?"

  "Good Heavens!" said his father. "Buy him an encyclopedia. Anything,anything. What does he think I am? What----"

  "I'd better set apart a special room for his homework," said Mrs. Brownsoothingly, "now that he's beginning to take such an interest."

  "A room!" echoed his father bitterly. "He wants a whole house."

  Miss Drew was surprised and touched by William's earnestness andattention the next day. At the end of the afternoon school he kindlyoffered to carry her books home for her. He waved aside all protests. Hemarched home by her side discoursing pleasantly, his small freckled facebeaming devotion.

  "I like pirates, don't you, Miss Drew? An' robbers an' things like that?Miss Drew, would you like to be married to a robber?"

  He was trying to reconcile his old beloved dream of his future estatewith the new one of becoming Miss Drew's husband.

  "No," she said firmly.

  His heart sank.

  "Nor a pirate?" he said sadly.

  "No."

  "They're quite nice really--pirates," he assured her.

  "I think not."

  "Well," he said resignedly, "we'll jus' have to go huntin' wild animalsand things. That'll be all right."

  "Who?" she said, bewildered.

  "Well--jus' you wait," he said darkly.

  Then: "Would you rather be married by the Archbishop of York or thePope?"

  "The Archbishop, I think," she said gravely.

  He nodded.

  "All right."

  She was distinctly amused. She was less amused the next evening. MissDrew had a male cousin--a very nice-looking male cousin, with whom sheoften went for walks in the evening. This evening, by chance, theypassed William's house, and William, who was in the garden, threw asidehis temporary _role_ of pirate and joined them. He trotted happily onthe other side of Miss Drew. He entirely monopolised the conversation.The male cousin seemed to encourage him, and this annoyed Miss Drew. Herefused to depart in spite of Miss Drew's strong hints. He had variousitems of interest to impart, and he imparted them with the air of oneassured of an appreciative hearing. He had found a dead rat the daybefore and given it to his dog, but his dog didn't like 'em dead andneither did the ole cat, so he'd buried it. Did Miss Drew like all thoseflowers he'd got her the other day? He was afraid that he cudn't bringany more like that jus' yet. Were there pirates now? Well, what wouldfolks do to one if there was one? He din't see why there shun't bepirates now. He thought he'd start it, anyway. He'd like to shoot alion. He was goin' to one day. He'd shoot a lion an' a tiger. He'd bringthe skin home to Miss Drew, if she liked. He grew recklessly generous.He'd bring home lots of skins of all sorts of animals for Miss Drew.

  "Don't you think you ought to be going home, William?" said Miss Drewcoldly.

  William hastened to reassure her.

  WILLIAM HAD VARIOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST TO IMPART, AND HEIMPARTED THEM WITH THE AIR OF ONE ASSURED OF AN APPRECIATIVE HEARING.]

  "Oh, no--not for ever so long yet," he said.

  "Isn't it your bed-time?"

  "Oh, no--not yet--not for ever so long."

  The male cousin was giving William his whole attention.

  "What does Miss Drew teach you at school, William?" he said.

  "Oh, jus' ornery things. Armadas an' things. An' 'bout lending a hundredpounds. That's a norful _soft_ thing. I unner_stand_ it," he addedhastily, fearing further explanation, "but it's _soft_. My father thinksit is, too, an' he oughter _know_. He's bin abroad lots of times. He'sbin chased by a bull, my father has----"

  The shades of night were falling fast when William reached Miss Drew'shouse still discoursing volubly. He was drunk with success. Heinterpreted his idol's silence as the silence of rapt admiration.

  He was passing through the gate with his two companions with the air ofone assured of welcome, when Miss Drew shut the gate upon him firmly.

  "You'd better go home now, William," she said.

  William hesitated.

  "I don't mind comin' in a bit," he said. "I'm not tired."

  But Miss Drew and the male cousin were already half-way up the walk.

  William turned his steps homeward. He met Ethel near the gate.

  "William, where _have_ you been? I've been looking for you everywhere.It's _hours_ past your bed-time."

  "I was goin' a walk with Miss Drew."

  "But you should have come home at your bed-time."

  "I don't think she wanted me to go," he said with dignity. "I think itwun't of bin p'lite."

  William found that a new and serious element had entered his life. Itwas not without its disadvantages. Many had been the little diversionsby which William had been wont to while away the hours of instruction.In spite of his devotion to Miss Drew, he missed the old days ofcare-free exuberance, but he kept his new seat in the front row, andclung to his _role_ of earnest student. He was beginning to find also,that a conscientious performance of home lessons limited his activitiesafter school hours, but at present he hugged his chains. Miss Drew, fromher seat on the platform, found William's soulful concentrated gazesomewhat embarrassing, and his questions even more so.

  As he went out of school he heard her talking to another mistress.

  "I'm very fond of syringa," she was saying. "I'd love to have some."

  William decided to bring her syringa, handfuls of syringa, armfuls ofsyringa.

  He went straight home to the gardener.

  "No, I ain't got no syringa. Please step off my rose-bed, MisterWilliam. No, there ain't any syringa in this 'ere garding. I dunno forwhy. Please leave my 'ose pipe alone, Mister William."

  "Huh!" ejaculated William, scornfully turning away.

  He went round the garden. The gardener had been quite right. There wereguelder roses everywhere, but no syringa.

  He climbed the fence and surveyed the next garden. There were guelderroses everywhere, but no syringa. It must have been some peculiarity inthe soil.

  William strolled down the road, scanning the gardens as he went. All hadguelder roses. None had syringa.

  Suddenly he stopped.

  On a table in the window of a small house at the bottom of the road wasa vase of syringa. He did not know who lived there. He entered thegarden cautiously. No one was about.

  He looked into the room. It was empty. The window was open at thebottom.

  He scrambled in, removing several layers of white paint from thewindow-sill as he did so. He was determined to have that syringa. Hetook it dripping from the vase, and was preparing to depart, when thedoor opened and a fat woman appeared upon the
threshold. The scream thatshe emitted at sight of William curdled the very blood in his veins. Shedashed to the window, and William, in self-defence, dodged round thetable and out of the door. The back door was open, and William blindlyfled by it. The fat woman did not pursue. She was leaning out of thewindow, and her shrieks rent the air.

  "Police! Help! Murder! Robbers!"

  The quiet little street rang with the raucous sounds.

  William felt cold shivers creeping up and down his spine. He was in asmall back garden from which he could see no exit.

  Meanwhile the shrieks were redoubled.

  THE DOOR OPENED AND A FAT WOMAN APPEARED ON THETHRESHOLD.]

  "Help! _Help!_ _Help!_"

  Then came sounds of the front-door opening and men's voices.

  "Hello! Who is it? What is it?"

  William glared round wildly. There was a hen-house in the corner of thegarden, and into this he dashed, tearing open the door and plungingthrough a mass of flying feathers and angry, disturbed hens.

  William crouched in a corner of the dark hen-house determinedlyclutching his bunch of syringa.

  Distant voices were at first all he could hear. Then they came nearer,and he heard the fat lady's voice loudly declaiming.

  "He was quite a small man, but with such an evil face. I just had oneglimpse of him as he dashed past me. I'm sure he'd have murdered me if Ihadn't cried for help. Oh, the coward! And a poor defenceless woman! Hewas standing by the silver table. I disturbed him at his work of crime.I feel so upset. I shan't sleep for nights. I shall see his evil,murderous face. And a poor unarmed woman!"

  "Can you give us no details, madam?" said a man's voice. "Could yourecognise him again?"

  "_Anywhere!_" she said firmly. "Such a criminal face. You've no idea howupset I am. I might have been a lifeless corpse now, if I hadn't had thecourage to cry for help."

  "We're measuring the footprints, madam. You say he went out by the frontdoor?"

  "I'm convinced he did. I'm convinced he's hiding in the bushes by thegate. Such a low face. My nerves are absolutely jarred."

  "We'll search the bushes again, madam," said the other voice wearily,"but I expect he has escaped by now."

  "The brute!" said the fat lady. "Oh, the _brute_! And that _face_. If Ihadn't had the courage to cry out----"

  The voices died away and William was left alone in a corner of thehen-house.

  A white hen appeared in the little doorway, squawked at him angrily, andretired, cackling indignation. Visions of life-long penal servitude orhanging passed before William's eyes. He'd rather be executed, really.He hoped they'd execute him.

  Then he heard the fat lady bidding good-bye to the policeman. Then shecame to the back garden evidently with a friend, and continued to pourforth her troubles.

  "And he _dashed_ past me, dear. Quite a small man, but with such an evilface."

  A black hen appeared in the little doorway, and with an angry squawk atWilliam, returned to the back garden.

  "I think you're _splendid_, dear," said the invisible friend. "How youhad the _courage_."

  The white hen gave a sardonic scream.

  "You'd better come in and rest, darling," said the friend.

  "I'd better," said the fat lady in a plaintive, suffering voice. "I dofeel very ... shaken...."

  Their voices ceased, the door was closed, and all was still.

  Cautiously, very cautiously, a much-dishevelled William crept from thehen-house and round the side of the house. Here he found a lockedside-gate over which he climbed, and very quietly he glided down to thefront gate and to the road.

  "Where's William this evening?" said Mrs. Brown. "I do hope he won'tstay out after his bed-time."

  "Oh, I've just met him," said Ethel. "He was going up to his bedroom. Hewas covered with hen feathers and holding a bunch of syringa."

  "Mad!" sighed his father. "Mad! mad! mad!"

  The next morning William laid a bunch of syringa upon Miss Drew's desk.He performed the offering with an air of quiet, manly pride. Miss Drewrecoiled.

  "_Not_ syringa, William. I simply can't _bear_ the smell!"

  William gazed at her in silent astonishment for a few moments.

  Then: "But you _said_ ... you _said_ ... you said you were fond ofsyringa an' that you'd like to have them."

  "Did I say syringa?" said Miss Drew vaguely. "I meant guelder roses."

  William's gaze was one of stony contempt.

  He went slowly back to his old seat at the back of the room.

  That evening he made a bonfire with several choice friends, and playedRed Indians in the garden. There was a certain thrill in returning tothe old life.

  "Hello!" said his father, encountering William creeping on all foursamong the bushes. "I thought you did home lessons now?"

  William arose to an upright position.

  "I'm not goin' to take much bother over 'em now," said William. "MissDrew, she can't talk straight. She dunno what she _means_."

  "That's always the trouble with women," agreed his father. "William sayshis idol has feet of clay," he said to his wife, who had approached.

  "I dunno as she's got feet of clay," said William, the literal. "All Isay is she can't talk straight. I took no end of trouble an' she dunnowhat she means. I think her feet's all right. She walks all right.'Sides, when they make folks false feet, they make 'em of wood, notclay."