Glyn Severn's Schooldays

by George Manville Fenn

“Then,” said the Doctor, “you were good enough to suggest two or three little things this morning. What should you do first?”

“Well,” said the Colonel thoughtfully, “I think, first of all, it is due to those gentlemen who act as your ushers that they should be asked to join in our consultation.”

“Certainly. Quite right,” said the Doctor, and, ringing the bell, he sent a message by Wrench to the class-room, and if the masters were not there, bade the man find them in the grounds.

There was a pause in the proceedings here, during which the Doctor and his visitor chatted about political matters, and the boys sat whispering together about the last match.

But they had not long to wait. Morris came bustling in to bow to the Colonel and take the seat to which the Doctor pointed, while Rampson and Monsieur Brohanne came in together from a walk round the grounds.

Then, after a very few preliminaries, forming a sort of introduction to the masters of the boys’ father and guardian, the Colonel spoke about the great unpleasantness of the matter and the Doctor’s desire to have what seemed like a cloud hanging over his establishment swept away.

He addressed a few words then to Rampson, who had nothing more to say after declaring his perfect certainty that not one of the boys he had the honour of instructing would have been guilty of such a crime.

Monsieur Brohanne, too, declared himself as lost in astonishment at the trouble which had come upon them like a sudden tempest. No, by his faith, he said, he could not think how such an outrage could have taken place.

Morris was disposed to be more voluble, and the Colonel more ready to examine him, while the master was prompt and eager in his replies, sighing as if with relief as the Colonel at length stopped short and sat patting the carpet with his right toe. “Well, sir,” said the Doctor at last, “seeing that, as I told you, I carefully examined the servants, I had plunged as far as this in the mystery before.”

“Humph!” grunted the Colonel, with his eyes closed, and Glyn and Singh exchanged glances.