“Can’t, father. We haven’t got leave. We shall be punished for breaking out of school.”
“Nonsense!” cried his father. “You didn’t break out of school. You were carried off. Here, I’ll put that right with the Doctor; but there must be no more of this. You lads don’t want elephants till you go back to Dour, and that won’t be for years to come.”
Very shortly afterwards the boys were once more seated at the Colonel’s table, to partake of a leisurely breakfast, before he, as he termed it, marched them back like a couple of deserters to the Doctor’s establishment.
Wrench looked at them at first wonderingly, and then shook his head as he announced that the boys were all in their classes, and that the Doctor was going round the grounds with the gardener to see what damage was done by the second visit of the elephant; when the Colonel proposed that they should follow and give the boys’ version of their adventure.
They came upon him they sought almost directly after, for he had inspected the damaged hedge, and was gazing very ruefully at the broken-down palisade and the torn and trampled flower-beds.
He was busy pointing out the mischief to his companion, for Morris was with him, looking very sympathetic, as he borrowed the Doctor’s walking-cane and carried his mathematical studies into daily life and utility by bending down and taking the dimensions of the elephant’s great circular foot-prints.
The Doctor frowned as he turned and saw who were approaching; but explanations followed as he rather ponderously led the way into his study, where everything connected with the discipline of his school was always discussed.
“Oh, of course, Colonel Severn,” he said, as his visitor took leave. “I hold your ward and son perfectly blameless, and have nothing to say about their absence from my establishment this morning.—But I hope, young gentlemen, that this is the last of these adventures; and I am glad, Colonel, that you met them and made them your guests.”
“Unintentionally, my dear sir—unintentionally,” said the Colonel stiffly. “I did mean to ask your permission for them to dine with me once more; but after this morning’s meeting I shall not do so. We mustn’t interfere with the discipline of the school boys,” he said. “To-morrow morning I return to town, and probably I shall not see you again for a couple of months. Good-morning, Doctor; good-morning.—You will see me to the door, boys?”
The Doctor smiled and bowed, and the two lads walked past Wrench and then down with the Colonel to the Doctor’s gate, where he stood for a few minutes talking.