“It was not marked ‘private,’ but I can quite understand the writer would not like to hear it read aloud here. All I wish to say is that his hypothetical case is no more hypothetical than his interference was in the affairs of my house; and that if he asks my opinion on the matter, I shall tell him he would do better to mind his own business!”
Railsford sat down, very hot, and painfully conscious that he had not exhibited the moderation and temper which he had promised himself to observe.
An embarrassed silence ensued. Mr Roe, a man of peace, frowned, and turned inquiringly to Bickers.
Bickers stroked his beard and smiled, and said nothing.
“Do you wish to say anything?” asked the chairman.
“By no means. Mr Railsford has said all I could wish said far more eloquently than I could. Shall we go on to the next business, Mr Chairman?”
As for Railsford, the further proceeding had no interest for him, and he vanished the moment the meeting was over, without speaking to anyone.
As Mr Bickers walked off towards his house, he really felt a little sorry for his fellow-master, who had let himself down by so paltry an exhibition of temper thus early in his career. However, no doubt he would take to heart to-night’s lesson, and do himself more justice in future. Mr Bickers, in the fulness of his heart, took a little round of the big square on his way home, with the double intent of giving himself the air, and perchance intercepting, for the good of the school, one or more youthful night-birds in their truant excursions. This was a kind of sport in which Mr Bickers was particularly successful, and which, therefore (as became a successful sportsman), he rather enjoyed. To his credit be it said, he was strictly impartial in his dealings; whether the culprit belonged to his own house (as often happened) or to another’s, he was equally down upon him, and was never known to relax his penalties for the most plausible excuse set up by his ingenious victims.
To-night it seemed as if he would return without a “bag” at all, and he was about to resign himself to his disappointment, when his quick eyes detected in the darkness a hovering shadow moving ahead of him in the direction of Railsford’s house. It vanished almost immediately, but not before the master had caught a faintly uttered “Hist!” which betrayed that he had to deal with more than one truant. He quickened his pace a little, and came once more in view of the phantom slinking along by the wall at a pace which was not quite a run. Rather to Mr Bickers’s surprise the fugitive passed the door of Railsford’s, and made straight on towards the chapel, slackening pace as he did so.
“A decoy,” said the knowing master to himself. “Employed to draw me on while the rest make good their retreat. There is a touch of generosity in the decoy which one is bound to admire; but on this occasion, my young friend, you are dealing with rather too aged a bird to be caught—”