"Yes, you are going to cane my brother Billy, in the morning."
This was true beyond all cavil--deeply and beautifully true. The Sergeant stared, and frowned a little. Justice must allow no dalliance.
"And oh, he has got such chilblains, sir! Two of them broke only yesterday, and will be at their worst in the morning. And he didn't mean it, sir, oh he never meant it, when he called you an 'Old beast'!"
"The discipline of the school must be maintained." Mr. Jakes stroked his beard, which was one of the only pair then grown in the parish, (the other being Dr. Gronow's) for the growth of a beard in those days argued a radical and cantankerous spirit, unless it were that of a military man. Without his beard Mr. Jakes would not have inspired half the needful awe; and he stroked it now with dignity, though the heart beneath it was inditing of an _infra dig._ idea. "Unhappily he did it, Miss, in the presence of the other boys. It cannot be looked over."
"Oh what can I do, Sergeant? What can I do? I'll do anything you tell me, if you'll only let him off."
The Schoolmaster gave a glance at all the windows. They were well above the level of the ground outside. No one could peep in, without standing on a barrel, or getting another boy to give him a leg up.
"Tamar, do you mean what you say?" he enquired, with a glance of mingled tenderness and ferocity--the tenderness for her, the ferocity for her brother.
"If you have any doubt, you have only got to try me. There can't be any harm in that much, can there?" She looked at him, with a sly twinkle in her eyes, as much as to say--"Well now, come, don't be so bashful."
Upon that temptation, this long-tried veteran fell from his loyalty and high position. He approached to the too fascinating damsel, took her pretty hand, and whispered something through her lovely curls. Alas, the final word of his conditions of abject surrender was one which rhymed with "this," or "Miss," or--that which it should have been requited with--a hiss. Oh Muggridge, Muggridge, where were you? Just stirring a cup of unbefriended tea, and meditating on this man's integrity!
"Oh you are too bad, too bad, Sergeant!" exclaimed the young girl starting back, with both hands lifted, and a most becoming blush. "I never did--I never could have thought that you had any mind for such trifles. Why, what would all the people say, if I were only to mention it?"