Page:Tom Brown's School Days (6th ed).djvu/395

 It was a new light to him to find that, besides teaching the sixth and governing and guiding the whole school, editing classics and writing histories, the great head-master had found time in those busy years to watch over the career even of him, Tom Brown, and his particular friends—and, no doubt, of fifty other boys at the same time; and all this without taking the least credit to himself, or seeming to know, or let any one else know, that he ever thought particularly of any boys at all.

However, the Doctor's victory was complete from that moment over Tom Brown, at any rate. He gave way at all points, and the enemy marched right over him, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, the land transport corps, and the camp followers. It had taken eight long years to do it, but now it was done thoroughly, and there wasn't a corner of him left which didn't believe in the Doctor. Had he returned to school again, and the Doctor begun the half-year by abolishing fagging and football and the Saturday half-holiday, or all or any of the most cherished school institutions, Tom would have supported him with the blindest faith. And so, after a half-confession of his previous shortcomings, and sorrowful adieus to his tutor, from whom he received two beautifully bound volumes of the Doctor's Sermons, as a parting present, he marched down to the School-house a hero-worshipper who would have satisfied the soul of Thomas Carlyle himself.

There he found the eleven at high jinks after supper. Jack Raggles shouting comic songs and performing feats of strength; and was greeted by a chorus of mingled remonstrance at his desertion and joy at his reappearance. And falling in with the humor of the evening, he was soon as great a boy as all the rest; and at ten o'clock was chaired round the quadrangle, on one of the hall benches, borne aloft by the eleven, shouting in chorus, "For he's a jolly good fellow!" while old Thomas, in a melting mood, and the other School-house servants, stood looking on.

And the next morning, after breakfast, he squared up all the cricketing accounts, went round to his tradesmen and other acquaintance, and said his hearty good-byes, and by twelve o'clock