Page:Hornung - Fathers of Men.djvu/124

 "End of this month," says Jan. "Confound your eyes!" cries Mother Sprawson, "then you won't be under fifteen for the sports, and I'll give you a jolly good licking!"

But what Sprawson really does give Jan is cocoa and biscuits at Maltby's in the market-place: a most unconventional attention from a man of his standing to a new boy: who knows enough by this time to feel painfully out of place in the fashionable shop, and devoutly to wish himself with Carpenter at one of their humble haunts. But even this incident is a memory to treasure, and not to be spoilt by the fact that Shockley waylays and kicks him in the quad for "putting on a roll," and that Heriot himself has Jan into his study after lock-up, for the first time since the term began, and first gives him a severe wigging for having run in the paper-chase at all, but sends him off with a parting compliment on having run so well.

"He said he'd only been forbidden to play football," so Bob Heriot reported to his sister. "Of course I had to jump on him for that; but I own I'm thankful I didn't find out in time to stop his little game. It's just what was wanted to lift him an inch out of the ruck. It augurs the sportsman I believe he'll turn out in spite of us."

"But what about his heart?"

"He hasn't a heart, never had one, and after this can never be accused of such a thing again."

"I wonder you didn't go to Dr. Hill about it long ago, Bob."

"I did go to him. But Hill said he wouldn't take the responsibility of letting the unfortunate boy play football without inquiring into his past history. That was the last proceeding to encourage, and so my hands