Page:Jaspar Tristram (1899).djvu/20

 ‘Squat! You’re an ass an’ I’m not!’ the other gabbled out, evidently delighted at having got the answer he wanted; and there was‘a fresh roar of laughter.

‘Well, I call it a beastly chouse, humbugging a new chap like that his very first night!’ interrupted Orr’s small friend; and then added: ‘But, I say, tell us, do you smoke?’

The question appeared odd, but not only was it put in a simple kindly way that contrasted with that in which the others had spoken, but it was asked besides by the only boy who had been the least nice to him, and so he answered ‘No’ in such a tone as might, he hoped, be understood to mean that if it would give his questioner any pleasure he would certainly try and learn. Nor did he the least understand what was meant by the general shout of:

‘Oh, what a beastly bung! why you’re doing it now!’ with which his reply was greeted.

But the small boy looked round with a pained and reproving air, and then, as silence ensued, went on:

‘Well, are you up to snuff?’

By now, however, Jaspar had begun to have a dim s suspicion that he was being made fun of, and he was thus still considering within himself what answer he had better make to this second inquiry, which seemed still more extraordinary and unintelligible than the first, when Orr broke in with:

‘Oh, come along, Els, do! I’ll give you a ride!’ and hitching him up on his back, he ran lightly off, followed by the rest, whooping and shouting, just, so Jaspar thought, like a lot of savages.

Scarcely had they vanished through the doorway when the master entered who was that evening to keep school. By him he was appointed a desk at which to sit and furnished with such books as he wanted for the next day’s work. So for a while he did his best to keep his thoughts fixed on the lesson he had been given to prepare. But presently, do what he would, they began to stray off towards the home he had that morning left, and soon the page was swimming before him in a mist of tears. Raising