The King of the School, or, Who will Win? — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KING OF THE SCHOOL; OR, WHO WILL WIN 39 To this Crawley assented, little think- ing that Bavnes iooked upon him as a gudgeon that, having been long since caught, was now being used as a bait for others. “T don’t think youll catch young Egerton though.” ‘“‘T can see plainly enough that he is destined to be a thorn in my side. Either he must fall or I shall. The game has commenced, the question is, WHO WILL WIN ?” This conversation took place in the playing field. The speakers were seated beneath a tree not far from the river; Crawley engaged in tying some flies for his friend ; Baynes, with hands thrust deep in his trousers pockets, was meditating. Other groups of the pupils of Lexicon College were scattered about the field. One of these groups was¢headed by Frank Egerton, who was most anxious to try the driving powers of a new ericket-bat he had that morning pur- chased. At that moment a small boy made his appearance at the gate of the field, shouting— “ Egerton, Egerton !” “ Here |” “ A letter for you.” “Bring it over, you lazy little beggar !” exclaimed Marsham. “ Just walk round quietly, Crawley,” said Baynes, “and see if you can find out anything about that letter. It mist be from the town; for London mid-day mail was delivered two hours avo.” ” Crawley did not like the job very much, but he had not the strength of mind to disobey his imperious friend. After prowling about for some minutes, he returned with his report. “Tt is from that old man he saved— or rather from the daughter.” “Hal” “ T couldn’t hear all, but there was a lot of bosh about eternal gratitude, and so forth, winding up with an in- yitation to visit the humble roof of the writer to-morrow aftexnoon.” “Good! And what said Egerton ?” “Why, he invited Fitzgerald and Pembridge to go with him, much to the disgust of Marsham, who fancies himself a lady-killer. It seems the girl has one or two sisters—milliners’ work-girls,” | “Ah!” exclaimed Baynes. “We shall see what the doctor will think of it if this self-styled King of the School degrades himself by visiting a lot of low people.” “But I heard Pembridge say that he knew the father, a most respectable old buffer.” “So he may be, but we must make it appear to the contrary.” “Why ?” asked Crawley, who was not quite such an adept in plotting as his friend, not from want of disposition, but from lack of ability to form a crafty. scheme and carry it out boldly * * * The next afternoon, when school hours were over, Frank Egerton, the young Earl of Pembridge, and Charlie Fitzgerald, started from Lexicon Col- lege, and walked briskly away towards Fishingham, one of the suburbs of the old city of Ballsbury. “Who knows the way to Mr. Con- way’s house ?” asked Fitzgerald. “T know the street,” responded tha Earl of Pembridge. -« And I know the number,” said Egerton. In a few minutes they had reached the house from which the invitation was dated. It was a pleasant- looking little place, though, as the Earl of Pembridge afterwards observed, the whole house could very well have ween placed in the entrance hall of the home of his ancestors. Mr. Conway, as the old gentleman was called, whom Frank Egerton has rescued from destruction, was stand- ing at the door, evidently waiting for them. . He stepped forward, and grasped Frank’s hand, exclaiming— — “You are most heartily welcome COMM A) DOOKS (CO mn