England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
And the only one of us who did not feel her visit as it was intended,
was Barrington. But he had no feeling: his body was too strong for it,
his temper too fierce. He would have thrown a sneer of ridicule after
her, but Whitney hissed it down.
Before another day had gone over, Barrington and Tod had a row. It was
about a crib. Tod could be as overbearing as Barrington when he pleased,
and he was cherishing ill-feeling towards him. They went and had it out
in private--but it did not come to a fight. Tod was not one to keep
in matters till they rankled, and he openly told Barrington that he
believed it was he who had caused Hearn's death. Barrington denied it
out-and-out; first of all swearing passionately that he had not, and
then calming down to talk about it quietly. Tod felt less sure of it
after that: as he confided to me in the bedroom.
Dr. Frost forbid football. And the time went on.
* * * * *
What I have further to relate may be thought a made-up story, such as we
find in fiction. It is so very like a case of retribution. But it is all
true, and happened as I shall put it. And somehow I never care to dwell
long upon the calamity.
It was as nearly as possible a year after Hearn died. Jessup was captain
of the school, for John Whitney was too ill to come. Jessup was almost
as rebellious as Wolfe; and the two would ridicule Blair, and call him
"Baked pie" to his face. One morning, when they had given no end of
trouble to old Frost over their Greek, and laid the blame upon the hot
weather, the Doctor said he had a great mind to keep them in until
dinner-time. However, they ate humble-pie, and were allowed to escape.
Blair was taking us for a walk. Instead of keeping with the ranks,
Barrington and Jessup fell out, and sat down on the gate of a field
where the wheat was being carried. Blair said they might sit there if
they pleased, but forbid them to cross the gate. Indeed, there was a
standing interdiction against our entering any field whilst the crops
were being gathered. We went on and left them.
Half-an-hour afterwards, before we got back, Barrington had been carried
home, dying.
Dying, as was supposed. He and Jessup had disobeyed Blair, disregarded
orders, and rushed into the field, shouting and leaping like a couple of
mad fellows--as the labourers afterwards said. Making for the waggon,
laden high with wheat, they mounted it, and started on the horses. In
some way, Barrington lost his balance, slipped over the side and the
hind wheel went over him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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