Domestic fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Family -- England -- Fiction
Parting with her after four years under her was a real grief. Even Griff
was fond of her; when once emancipated, he used to hug her and bring her
remarkable presents, and she heartily loved her tormentor. Everybody
did. It remained a great pleasure to get her to spend an evening with us
while the elders were gone out to dinner; nor do I think she ever did us
anything but good, though I am afraid we laughed at ‘Old Newton’ as we
grew older and more conceited. We never had another governess. My
mother read and enforced diligence on Emily and me, and we had masters
for different studies; the two boys went to school; and when Martyn began
to emerge from babyhood, Emily was his teacher.
CHAPTER III.
WIN AND SLOW.
‘The rude will shuffle through with ease enough:
Great schools best suit the sturdy and the rough.’
COWPER.
AT school Griffith was very happy, and brilliantly successful, alike in
study and sport, though sports were not made prominent in those days, and
triumphs in them were regarded by the elders with doubtful pride, lest
they should denote a lack of attention to matters of greater importance.
All his achievements were, however, poured forth by himself and Clarence
to Emily and me, and we felt as proud of them as if they had been our
own.
Clarence was industrious, and did not fail in his school work, but when
he came home for the holidays there was a cowed look about him, and
private revelations were made over my sofa that made my flesh creep. The
scars were still visible, caused by having been compelled to grasp the
bars of the grate bare-handed; and, what was worse, he had been suspended
outside a third story window by the wrists, held by a schoolfellow of
thirteen!
‘But what was Griff about?’ I demanded, with hot tears of indignation.
‘Oh, Win!—that’s what they call him, and me Slow—he said it would do me
good. But I don’t think it did, Eddy. It only makes my heart beat fit
to choke me whenever I go near the passage window.’
I could only utter a vain wish that I had been there and able to fight
for him, and I attacked Griff on the subject on the first opportunity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account