bosom.
‘My child,’ she sobbed. ‘Oh my darling child.’
‘I wath a thquaw,’ said Violet Elizabeth. ‘It dothn’t make any thort of a noith. Ith a lady.’
‘How did you—?’ began Mrs Bott still straining Violet Elizabeth to her.
‘These boys found her—’ said Mr Bott.
‘Oh, how kind – how noble,’ said Mrs Bott. ‘And one’s that nice little boy who played with her so sweetly yesterday. Give them ten shillings each, Botty.’
‘Well, but—’ hesitated Mr Bott remembering the circumstances in which they had been brought to him.
‘Botty!’ screamed Mrs Bott tearfully, ‘don’t you value your darling child’s life at even thirty shillings?’
Hastily Mr Bott handed them each a ten-shilling note.
They tramped homewards by the road.
‘Well, it’s turned out all right,’ said Ginger lugubriously, but fingering the ten-shilling note in his pocket, ‘but it might not have. ’Cept for the money it jolly
well spoilt the morning.’
‘Girls always do,’ said William. ‘I’m not going to have anything to do with any ole girl ever again.’
‘ ’S all very well sayin’ that,’ said Douglas who had been deeply impressed that morning by the inevitableness and deadly persistence of the sex, ‘ ’s all
very well sayin’ that. It’s them what has to do with you.’
‘An’ I’m never goin’ to marry any ole girl,’ said William.
‘ ’S all very well sayin’ that ,’ said Douglas again gloomily, ‘but some ole girl’ll probably marry you.’
CHAPTER 4
WILLIAM TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF
W illiam had often been told how much happier he would be if he would follow the straight and narrow path of virtue, but so far the thought of that
happiness had left him cold. He preferred the happiness that he knew by experience to be the result of his normal wicked life to that mythical happiness that was prophesied as the result of a quite
unalluring life of righteousness. Suddenly, however, he was stirred. An ‘old boy’ had come to visit the school and had given an inspiring address to the boys in which he spoke of the
beauty and usefulness of a life of Self-denial and Service. William, for the first time, began to consider the question seriously. He realised that his life so far had not been, strictly speaking,
a life of Self-denial and Service. The ‘old boy’ said many things that impressed William. He pictured the liver of the life of Self-denial and Service surrounded by a happy, grateful
and admiring family circle. He said that everyone would love such a character. William tried to imagine his own family circle as a happy, grateful and admiring family circle. It was not an easy
task even to such a vivid imagination as William’s but it was not altogether impossible. After all, nothing was altogether impossible . . .
While the headmaster was proposing a vote of thanks to the eloquent and perspiring ‘old boy’, William was deciding that there might be something in the idea after all. When the bell
rang for the end of school, William had decided that it was worth trying at any rate. He decided to start first thing next morning – not before. William was a good organiser. He liked things
cut and dried. A new day for a new life. It was no use beginning to be self-denying and self-sacrificing in the middle of a day that had started quite differently. If you were going to have a
beautiful character and a grateful family circle you might as well start the day fresh with it, not drag it over from the day before. It would be jolly nice to have a happy, grateful and admiring
family circle, and William only hoped that if he took the trouble to be self-denying and self-sacrificing his family circle would take the trouble to be happy and grateful and admiring. There were
dark doubts about this in William’s mind. His family circle rarely did anything that was expected of them. Still, William was an optimist and – anything might happen. And tomorrow was a
whole
‘My child,’ she sobbed. ‘Oh my darling child.’
‘I wath a thquaw,’ said Violet Elizabeth. ‘It dothn’t make any thort of a noith. Ith a lady.’
‘How did you—?’ began Mrs Bott still straining Violet Elizabeth to her.
‘These boys found her—’ said Mr Bott.
‘Oh, how kind – how noble,’ said Mrs Bott. ‘And one’s that nice little boy who played with her so sweetly yesterday. Give them ten shillings each, Botty.’
‘Well, but—’ hesitated Mr Bott remembering the circumstances in which they had been brought to him.
‘Botty!’ screamed Mrs Bott tearfully, ‘don’t you value your darling child’s life at even thirty shillings?’
Hastily Mr Bott handed them each a ten-shilling note.
They tramped homewards by the road.
‘Well, it’s turned out all right,’ said Ginger lugubriously, but fingering the ten-shilling note in his pocket, ‘but it might not have. ’Cept for the money it jolly
well spoilt the morning.’
‘Girls always do,’ said William. ‘I’m not going to have anything to do with any ole girl ever again.’
‘ ’S all very well sayin’ that,’ said Douglas who had been deeply impressed that morning by the inevitableness and deadly persistence of the sex, ‘ ’s all
very well sayin’ that. It’s them what has to do with you.’
‘An’ I’m never goin’ to marry any ole girl,’ said William.
‘ ’S all very well sayin’ that ,’ said Douglas again gloomily, ‘but some ole girl’ll probably marry you.’
CHAPTER 4
WILLIAM TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF
W illiam had often been told how much happier he would be if he would follow the straight and narrow path of virtue, but so far the thought of that
happiness had left him cold. He preferred the happiness that he knew by experience to be the result of his normal wicked life to that mythical happiness that was prophesied as the result of a quite
unalluring life of righteousness. Suddenly, however, he was stirred. An ‘old boy’ had come to visit the school and had given an inspiring address to the boys in which he spoke of the
beauty and usefulness of a life of Self-denial and Service. William, for the first time, began to consider the question seriously. He realised that his life so far had not been, strictly speaking,
a life of Self-denial and Service. The ‘old boy’ said many things that impressed William. He pictured the liver of the life of Self-denial and Service surrounded by a happy, grateful
and admiring family circle. He said that everyone would love such a character. William tried to imagine his own family circle as a happy, grateful and admiring family circle. It was not an easy
task even to such a vivid imagination as William’s but it was not altogether impossible. After all, nothing was altogether impossible . . .
While the headmaster was proposing a vote of thanks to the eloquent and perspiring ‘old boy’, William was deciding that there might be something in the idea after all. When the bell
rang for the end of school, William had decided that it was worth trying at any rate. He decided to start first thing next morning – not before. William was a good organiser. He liked things
cut and dried. A new day for a new life. It was no use beginning to be self-denying and self-sacrificing in the middle of a day that had started quite differently. If you were going to have a
beautiful character and a grateful family circle you might as well start the day fresh with it, not drag it over from the day before. It would be jolly nice to have a happy, grateful and admiring
family circle, and William only hoped that if he took the trouble to be self-denying and self-sacrificing his family circle would take the trouble to be happy and grateful and admiring. There were
dark doubts about this in William’s mind. His family circle rarely did anything that was expected of them. Still, William was an optimist and – anything might happen. And tomorrow was a
whole
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