"
"How?"
"Why, I'd get every fellow who disapproves of it to give me his name,
and get up and read the list, and say that you at least have pledged
yourselves not to do it."
"Humph! I don't know how that would answer. They'd half kill me for one
thing."
"Never mind; do your duty. I wish I'd such an opportunity, if only to
show how sorry I am for my own past unfairness."
And so talking, the four went in, and the two elder went to their study.
It was too true that drinking had become a common vice at Roslyn school.
Accordingly, when Eric came in with Wildney about half an hour after,
Owen and Montagu heard them talk about ordering some brandy, and then
arrange to have a "jollification," that evening.
They got the brandy through "Billy." One of Brigson's most cursed
legacies to the school was the introduction of this man to a nefarious
intercourse with the boys. His character was so well known that it had
long been forbidden, under the strictest penalty, for any boy ever to
speak to him; yet, strange to say, they seemed to take a pleasure in
doing so, and just now particularly it was thought a fine thing, a sign
of "pluck" and "anti-muffishness," to be on familiar and intimate terms
with that degraded and villainous scoundrel.
Pages:
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333