“Oh, he got in an awful state, and said he would get into no end of a row, and wouldn’t for the world have the Doctor know a word of it.”
“I don’t like it at all,” said Wraysford. “Don’t you have more to do than you can help with that business, Noll, old man.”
“But the poor beggar seems regularly at his wits’ end.”
“Never mind; you’ll do him and yourself no good by lending him money.”
“Well, I haven’t done so, for a very good reason, as I tell you. But I’m sorry for him. I do believe he can’t see that he’s being fleeced. He made me promise not to utter a word of it to the Doctor, so I really don’t know how to help him.”
“It’s my impression he’s good reason to be afraid of the Doctor just now,” said Wraysford. “That Nightingale business has yet to be cleared up.”
The two friends pursued this disagreeable topic no farther, but agreed, for all Loman wasn’t a nice boy, and for all they had neither of them much cause to love him, they would see the next day if they could not do something to help him in his difficulty. Meanwhile they gave themselves over to the pure and refined enjoyment of the “Vocal, Instrumental, and Dramatic Entertainment.”
At seven that evening, after tea, the Fourth Junior room became a centre of attraction to all Saint Dominic’s. Fellows from the Sixth and Fifth, always ready for novelty in the way of amusement, looked in to see the sport. The Fourth Senior grandly condescended to witness the vulgar exploits of their juniors, and the other classes were most of them represented by one or more spectators.
The programme had been carefully got up. Stephen took the chair solemnly at the appointed hour, and with a great deal of stammering announced that the proceedings were now about to commence, and then sat down. An awful pause ensued. At first it was borne with interest, then with impatience; then, when Stephen began to whisper to Paul, and Paul began to signal to Bramble, and Bramble gesticulated in dumb show at Padger, and all four whispered together, and finally looked very gravely in an opposite direction to the audience, then they began to be amused.
“Oh,” said Stephen, very red, turning round abruptly after this awkward pause had continued for a minute or two—“oh, that was wrong; he doesn’t begin, and the other fellow’s away. Look here, Bramble, do your thing now.”