I'll go and talk to him again. But how utterly
changed he is!"
He found Eric on the stairs going down to bed with an affectation of
noise and gaiety. He ran after him, and said--
"Forgive me my passion and sarcasm, Williams. You know I am apt to
express myself strongly." He could not trust himself to say more, but
held out his hand.
Eric got red, and hesitated for a moment.
"Come, Eric, it isn't _wholly_ my fault, is it, that we are not so warm
to each other as we were when ..."
"Oh, Monty, Monty!" said Eric, softened by the allusion; and warmly
grasped his friend's proffered hand.
"Oh, Eric!"
The two shook hands in silence, and as they left each other they felt
that while things continued thus their friendship could not last. It was
a sad thought for both.
Next morning Wildney received a severe flogging, but gained great
reputation by not betraying his companion, and refusing to drop the
least hint as to their means of getting out, or their purpose in
visiting Ellan. So the secret of the bar remained undiscovered, and when
any boy wanted to get out at night--(unhappily the trick now became
common enough)--he had only to break a pane of glass in that particular
window, which, as it was in the passage, often remained unmended and
undiscovered for weeks.
Pages:
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284