Kay wore last night?"
"I don't know, Mary; I didn't notice it.--But surely if it is
_known_ that these men are"----
It was a half-holiday for the Liversedge boys, and they were
anticipating the election with all the fervour of British youth.
That morning there had been a splendid fight at the Grammar School;
they described it with great vigour and amplitude, waxing Homeric in
their zeal. Dickinson junior had told Tom Harte that Gladstone was a
"blackguard"; whereupon Tom smote him between the eyes, so that the
vile calumniator measured his length in congenial mud. The conflict
spread. Twenty or thirty boys took coloured rosettes from their
pockets (they were just leaving school) and pinned them to their
coats, then rushed to combat with party war-cries. Fletcher senior
had behaved like a brutal coward (though alas! a Gladstonian--it
was sorrowfully admitted), actually throwing a stone at an enemy who
was engaged in single fight, with the result that he had cut open
the head of one of his own friends--a most serious wound. An
under-master (never a favourite, and now loathed by the young
Liversedges as a declared Tory) had interposed in the unfairest way
--what else could be expected of him? To all this Mrs. Liversedge
gave ear not without pride, but as soon as possible she drew Lilian
apart into a quiet room, and did her best to soothe the feverishness
which was constantly declaring itself.
Pages:
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302