Jacob Faithful Read online

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  SLEIGHT-OF-HAND AT THE EXPENSE OF MY FEET--FILLING A MAN'S POCKETS ASGREAT AN OFFENCE AS PICKING THEM, AND PUNISHED ACCORDINGLY--A TURN OUT,A TURN UP, AND A TURN IN--EARLY IMPRESSIONS REMOVED, AND REDUNDANCY OFFEELING CORRECTED BY A SPELL OF THE RATTAN.

  I did not quit Mr Knapps until I had run through the alphabet, and thenreturned to my place, that I might con it over at my leisure, puzzlingmyself with the strange complexity of forms of which the alphabet wascomposed. I felt heated and annoyed by the constraint of my shoes,always an object of aversion from the time I had put them on. I drew myfoot out of one, then out of the other, and thought no more of them forsome time. In the meanwhile the boys next me had passed them on withtheir feet to the others, and thus were they shuffled along until theywere right up to the master's desk. I missed them, and perceiving thatthere was mirth at my expense, I narrowly and quietly watched up anddown till I perceived one of the head boys of the school, who satnearest the Dominie, catch up one of my shoes, and the Dominie beingthen in an absent fit, drop it into his coat-pocket. A short timeafterwards he got up, went to Mr Knapps, put a question to him, andwhile it was being answered, he dropped the other into the pocket of theusher, and tittering to the other boys, returned to his seat. I saidnothing; but when the hours of school were over, the Dominie looked athis watch, blew his nose, which made the whole of the boys pop up theirheads, like the clansmen of Roderick Dhu, when summoned by his horn,folded up his large pocket-hankerchief slowly and reverently, as if itwere a banner, put it into his pocket, and uttered in a solemn tone,"_Tempus est ludendi_." As this Latin phrase was used every day at thesame hour, every boy in the school understood so much Latin. A rushfrom all the desks ensured, and amidst shouting, yelling, and leapingevery soul disappeared except myself, who remained fixed to my form.The Dominie rose from his pulpit and descended, the usher did the same,and both approached me on their way to their respective apartments.

  "Jacob Faithful, why still porest thou over thy book--didst thou notunderstand that the hours of recreation had arrived? Why risest thounot upon thy feet like the others?"

  "'Cause I've got no shoes."

  "And where are thy shoes, Jacob?"

  "One's in your pocket," replied I "and t'other's in his'n."

  Each party placed their hands behind, and felt the truth of theassertion.

  "Expound, Jacob," said the Dominie, "who hath done this?"

  "The big boy with the red hair, and a face picked all over with holeslike the strainers in master's kitchen," replied I.

  "Mr Knapps, it would be _infra dig_ on my part, and also on yours, tosuffer this disrespect to pass unnoticed. Ring in the boys."

  The boys were rung in, and I was desired to point out the offender,which I immediately did, and who as stoutly denied the offence; but hehad abstracted my shoe-strings, and put them into his own shoes. Irecognised them and it was sufficient.

  "Barnaby Bracegirdle," said the Dominie, "thou art convicted, not onlyof disrespect towards me and Mr Knapps, but further of the grievous sinof lying. Simon Swapps, let him be hoisted."

  He was hoisted: his nether garments descended, and then the birchdescend with all the vigour of the Dominie's muscular arm. BarnabyBracegirdle showed every symptom of his disapproval of the measurestaken; but Simon Swapps held fast, and the Dominie flogged fast. Aftera minute's flagellation, Barnaby was let down, his yellow tights pulledup, and the boys dismissed. Barnaby's face was red, but the antipodeswere redder. The Dominie departed, leaving us together,--he adjustinghis inexpressibles, I putting in my shoe-strings. By the time Barnabyhad buttoned up and wiped his eyes, I had succeeded in standing in myshoes. There we were _tete-a-tete_.

  "Now, then," said Barnaby, holding one fist to my face, while, with theother open hand he rubbed behind, "come out in the play-ground, Mr_Cinderella_, and see if I won't drub you within an inch of your life."

  "It's no use crying," said I, soothingly: for I had not wished him to beflogged. "What's done can't be helped. Did it hurt you much?"

  This intended consolation was taken for sarcasm. Barnaby stormed.

  "Take it coolly," observed I.

  Barnaby waxed even more wroth.

  "Better luck next time," continued I, trying to soothe him.

  Barnaby was outrageous--he shook his fist and ran into the play-ground,daring me to follow him. His threats had no weight with me; not wishingto remain indoors, I followed him in a minute or two, when I found himsurrounded by the other boys, to whom he was in loud and vehementharangue.

  "Cinderella, where's your glass slippers?" cried the boys, as I made myappearance.

  "Come out, you water-rat," cried Barnaby, "you son of a cinder!"

  "Come out and fight him, or else you're a coward!" exclaimed the wholehost, from Number 1 to Number 62, inclusive.

  "He has had beating enough already to my mind," replied I; "but he hadbetter not touch me--I can use my arms."

  A ring was formed, in the centre of which I found Barnaby and myself.He took off his clothes, and I did the same. He was much older andstronger than I, and knew something about fighting. One boy cameforward as my second. Barnaby advanced and held out his hand, which Ishook heartily, thinking it was all over: but immediately received aright and left on the face, which sent me reeling backwards. This was acomplete mystery, but it raised my bile, and I returned it withinterest. I was very strong in my arms, as may be supposed; and I threwthem about like sails of a windmill, never hitting straight out, butwith semicircular blows, which descended on or about his ears. On thecontrary, his blows were all received straightforward, and my nose andface were soon covered with blood. As I warmed with pain and rage Iflung out my arms at random, and Barnaby gave me a knock-down blow. Iwas picked up and sat upon my second's knee, who whispered to me as Ispat the blood out of my mouth, "Take it coolly, and make sure when youhit."

  My own--my father's maxim--coming from another, it struck with doubleforce, and I never forgot it during the remainder of the fight. Againwe were standing up face to face; again I received it right and left,and returned it upon his right and left ears. Barnaby rushed in--I wasdown again.

  "Better luck next time," said I to my second, as cool as a cucumber.

  A third and a fourth round succeeded, all apparently in Barnaby'sfavour, but really in mine. My face was beat to a mummy, but he waswhat is termed groggy, from the constant return of blows on the side ofthe head. Again we stood up panting and exhausted. Barnaby rushed atme, and I avoided him: before he could return to the attack I had againplanted two severe blows upon his ears, and he reeled. He shook hishead, and with his fists in the attitude of defence, asked me whether Ihad had enough.

  "_He_ has," said my second; "stick to him now, Jacob, and you'll beathim."

  I did stick to him; three or four more blows applied to the same partfinished him, and he fell senseless on the ground.

  "You've settled him," cried my second.

  "What's done can't be helped," replied I. "Is he dead?"

  "What's all this?" cried Mr Knapps, pressing his way through the crowd,followed by the matron.

  "Barnaby and Cinderella having it out, sir," said one of the elder boys.

  The matron, who had already taken a liking for me, because I wasgood-looking, and because I had been recommended to her care by MrsDrummond, ran to me.

  "Well," says she, "if the Dominie don't punish that big brute for this,I'll see whether I'm anybody or not;" and taking me by the hand, she ledme away. In the meantime Mr Knapps surveyed Barnaby, who was stillsenseless; and desired the other boys to bring him in and lay him on hisbed. He breathed hard, but still remained senseless, and a surgeon wassent for, who found it necessary to bleed him copiously. He then, atthe request of the matron, came to me; my features wereindistinguishable, but elsewhere I was all right. As I stripped heexamined my arms.

  "It seemed strange," observed he, "that the bigger boy should be soseverely punished; but this boy's arms are
like little _sledge-hammers_.I recommend you," said he to the other boys, "not to fight with him,for some day or other he'll kill one of you."

  This piece of advice was not forgotten by the other boys, and from thatday I was the cock of the school. The name of Cinderella, given me byBarnaby, in ridicule of my mother's death, was immediately abandoned,and I suffered no more persecution. It was the custom of the Dominie,whenever two boys fought, to flog them both; but in this instance it wasnot followed up, because I was not the aggressor, and my adversarynarrowly escaped with his life. I was under the matron's care for aweek, and Barnaby under the surgeon's hands for about the same time.

  Neither was I less successful in my studies. I learnt rapidly, after Ihad conquered the first rudiments; but I had another difficulty toconquer, which was my habit of construing everything according to myrefined ideas; the force of association had become so strong that Icould not overcome it for a considerable length of time. Mr Knappscontinually complained of my being obstinate, when, in fact, I wasanxious to please as well as to learn. For instance, in spelling, thefirst syllable always produced the association with something connectedwith my former way of life. I recollect the Dominie once, and onlyonce, gave me a caning, about a fortnight after I went to the school.

  I had been brought up by Mr Knapps as contumelious.

  "Jacob Faithful, how is this? thine head is good yet wilt thou refuselearning. Tell me now, what does _c-a-t_ spell?"

  It was the pitch-pipe to _cat-head_, and answered I accordingly.

  "Nay, Jacob, it spells _cat_; take care of thy head on the next reply.Understand me, head is not understood. Jacob, thy head is in jeopardy.Now, Jacob, what does _m-a-t_ spell?"

  "_Chafing-mat_," replied I.

  "It spells mat only, silly boy; the chafing will be on my part directly.Now, Jacob, what does _d-o-g_ spell?"

  "Dog-kennel."

  "Dog, Jacob, without the kennel. Thou art very contumelious, anddeservest to be rolled in the kennel. Now, Jacob, this is the last timethat thou triflest with me; what does _h-a-t_ spell?"

  "Fur cap," replied I, after some hesitation.

  "Jacob, I feel the wrath rising within me, yet would I fain spare thee;if _h-a-t_ spell fur-cap, pray advise me, what doth _c-a-p_ spell,then?"

  "_Capstern_."

  "Indeed, Jacob, thy stern as well as thy head are in danger; and Isuppose, then, _w-i-n-d_ spells windlass, does it not?"

  "Yes, sir," replied I, pleased to find that he agreed with me.

  "Upon the same principle, what does _r-a-t_ spell?"

  "_Rat_, sir," replied I.

  "Nay, Jacob, _r-a-t_ must spell _rattan_, and as thou hast missed thineown mode of spelling, thou shalt not miss the cane." The Dominie thenapplied it to my shoulders with considerable unction, much to thedelight of Mr Knapps, who thought the punishment was much too small forthe offence. But I soon extricated myself from these associations as myideas extended, and was considered by the Dominie as the cleverest boyin the school. Whether it were from natural intellect, or from my brainhaving lain fallow, as it were, for so many years, or probably from thetwo causes combined, I certainly learned almost by instinct. I read mylessons once over and laid my book aside, for I knew it all. I had notbeen six months at the school before I discovered that, in a thousandinstances, the affection of a father appeared towards me under the roughcrust of the Dominie. I think it was on the third day of the seventhmonth that I afforded him a day of triumph and warming of his heart,when he took me for the first time into his little study, and put theLatin Accidence into my hands. I learnt my first lesson in a quarter ofan hour; and I remember well how that unsmiling, grave man looked intomy smiling eyes, parting the chestnut curls, which the matron would notcut off, from my brows, and saying, "_Bene fecisti, Jacobe_." Manytimes afterwards, when the lesson was over, he would fix his eyes uponme, fall back on his chair, and make me recount all I could remember ofmy former life, which was really nothing but a record of perceptions andfeelings. He _could_ attend to _me_, and as I related some early andsingular impression, some conjecture of what I saw, yet could notcomprehend, on the shore which I had never touched, he would rub hishands with enthusiasm, and exclaim, "I have found a new book--an album,whereon I may write the deeds of heroes and the words of sages._Carissime Jacobe_! how happy shall we be when we get into Virgil!" Ihardly need say that I loved him--I did so from my heart, and learnedwith avidity to please him. I felt that I was of consequence--myconfidence in myself was unbounded. I walked proudly, yet I was notvain. My school-fellows hated me, but they feared me as much for my ownprowess as my interest with the master; but still many were the bittergibes and innuendoes which I was obliged to hear as I sat down with themto our meals. At other times I held communion with the Dominie, theworthy old matron, and my books. We walked out every day, at firstattended by Mr Knapps the usher. The boys would not walk with mewithout they were ordered, and if ordered, most unwillingly. Yet I hadgiven no cause of offence. The matron found it out, told the Dominie,and after that the Dominie attended the boys and led me by the hand.

  This was of the greatest advantage to me, as he answered all myquestions, which were not few, and each day I advanced in every varietyof knowledge. Before I had been eighteen months at school, the Dominiewas unhappy without my company, and I was equally anxious for hispresence. He was a father to me, and I loved him as a son should love afather, and as it will hereafter prove, he was my guide through life.

  But although the victory over Barnaby Bracegirdle, and the idea of myprowess procured me an enforced respect, still the Dominie's goodwilltowards me was the occasion of a settled hostility. Affront me, orattack me openly, they dare not; but supported as the boys were by MrKnapps the usher, who was equally jealous of my favour, and equally meanin spirit, they caballed to ruin me, if possible, in the good opinion ofmy master. Barnaby Bracegirdle had a talent for caricature, which waswell-known to all but the Dominie. His first attempt against me was acaricature of my mother's death, in which she was represented as a lampsupplied from a gin-bottle, and giving flame out of her mouth. This wastold to me, but I did not see it. It was given by Barnaby to MrKnapps, who highly commended it, and put it into his desk. After which,Barnaby made an oft-repeated caricature of the Dominie, with a vastnose, which he shewed to the usher as _my_ performance. The usherunderstood what Barnaby was at, and put it into his desk withoutcomment. Several other ludicrous caricatures were made of the Dominieand of the matron, all of which were consigned to Mr Knapps by the boysas being the productions of my pencil; but this was not sufficient--itwas necessary I should be more clearly identified. It so happened thatone evening, when sitting with the Dominie at my Latin, the matron andMr Knapps being in the adjoining room, the light, which had burnedclose down, fell in the socket and went out. The Dominie rose to getanother; the matron also got up to fetch away the candlestick with thesame intent. They met in the dark, and ran their heads together prettyhard. As this event was only known to Mr Knapps and myself, hecommunicated it to Barnaby, wondering whether I should not make it asubject of one of my caricatures. Barnaby took the hint; in the courseof a few hours this caricature was added to the others. Mr Knapps, tofurther his views, took an opportunity to mention with encomium mytalent for drawing, added that he had seen several of my performances."The boy hath talent," replied the Dominie; "he is a rich mine, fromwhich much precious metal is to be obtained."

  "I hear that thou hast the talent for drawing, Jacob," said he to me, aday or two afterwards.

  "I never had in my life, sir," replied I.

  "Nay, Jacob; I like modesty but modesty should never lead to a denial ofthe truth. Remember, Jacob, that thou do not repeat the fault."

  I made no answer, as I felt convinced that I was not in fault; but thatevening I requested the Dominie to lend me a pencil, as I wished to tryand draw. For some days, various scraps of my performances wereproduced, and received commendation. "The boy draweth well," observedthe Dominie to Mr K
napps, as he examined my performance through hisspectacles.

  "Why should he have denied his being able to draw?" observed the usher.

  "It was a fault arising from modesty or want of confidence--even avirtue, carried to excess, may lead us into error."

  The next attempt of Barnaby was to obtain the Cornelius Nepos which Ithen studied. This was effected by Mr Knapps, who took it out of theDominie's study, and put it into Barnaby's possession, who drew on thefly-leaf, on which was my name, a caricature head of the Dominie; andunder my own name, which I had written on the leaf, added, in my hand,_fecit_, so that it appeared, Jacob Faithful _fecit_. Having done this,the leaf was torn out of the book, and consigned to the usher with therest. The plot was now ripe; and the explosion soon ensued. Mr Knappstold the Dominie that I drew caricatures of my school-fellows. TheDominie taxed me, and I denied it. "So you denied drawing," observedthe usher.

  A few days passed away, when Mr Knapps informed the Dominie that I hadbeen caricaturing him and Mrs Bately, the matron, and that he hadproofs of it. I had then gone to bed; the Dominie was much surprised,and thought it impossible that I could be so ungrateful. Mr Knappssaid that should make the charge openly, and prove it the next morningin the school-room; and wound up the wrong by describing me in severalpoints, as a cunning, good-for-nothing, although clever boy.