Lord Ormont and his Aminta | Page 9

but he would bear them down. Three days before the break-up
of the school another rumour came tearing through it: Aminta's aunt
had withdrawn her from Miss Vincent's. And now rose the question,
two-dozen-mouthed, Did Matey know her address at Douvres? His face
grew stringy and his voice harder, and his eyes ready to burst from a
smother of fire. All the same, he did his work: he was the good old
fellow at games, considerate in school affairs, kind to the youngsters;
he was heard to laugh. He liked best the company of his little French
friend from Orthez, over whose shoulder his hand was laid sometimes
as they strolled and chatted in two languages. He really went a long
way to make French fellows popular, and the boys were sorry that little
Emile was off to finish his foreign education in Germany. His English
was pretty good, thanks to Matey. He went away, promising to
remember Old England, saying he was French first, and a Briton next.
He had lots of plunk; which accounted for Matey's choice of him as a
friend among the juniors.

CHAPTER II.
LADY CHARLOTTE
Love-passages at a school must produce a ringing crisis if they are to
leave the rosy impression which spans the gap of holidays. Neither
Matey nor Browny returned to their yoke, and Cuper's boys recollected
the couple chiefly on Sundays. They remembered several of Matey's
doings and sayings: his running and high leaping, his bowling, a maxim
or two of his, and the tight strong fellow he was; also that the damsel's
colour distinctly counted for dark. She became nearly black in their
minds. Well, and Englishmen have been known to marry Indian
princesses: some have a liking for negresses. There are Nubians rather
pretty in pictures, if you can stand thick lips. Her colour does not
matter, provided the girl is of the right sort. The exchange of letters
between the lovers was mentioned. The discovery by Miss Vincent of
their cool habit of corresponding passed for an incident; and there it
remained, stiff as a poet, not being heated by a story to run. So the
foregone excitement lost warmth, and went out like a winter sun at
noon or a match lighted before the candle is handy.
Lord Ormont continued to be a subject of discussion from time to time,
for he was a name in the newspapers; and Mr. Shalders had been
worked by Matey Weyburn into a state of raw antagonism at the
mention of the gallant General; he could not avoid sitting in judgement
on him.
According to Mr. Shalders, the opinion of all thoughtful people in
England was with John Company and the better part of the Press to
condemn Lord Ormont in his quarrel with the Commissioner of one of
the Indian provinces, who had the support of the Governor of his
Presidency and of the Viceroy; the latter not unreservedly, yet
ostensibly inclined to condemn a too prompt military hand. The
Gordian knot of a difficulty cut is agreeable in the contemplation of an
official chief hesitating to use the sword and benefiting by having it
done for him. Lord Ormont certainly cut the knot.

Mr. Shalders was cornered by the boys, coming at him one after
another without a stop, vowing it was the exercise of a military
judgement upon a military question at a period of urgency, which had
brought about the quarrel with the Commissioner and the reproof of the
Governor. He betrayed the man completely cornered by generalizing.
He said--
"We are a civilian people; we pride ourselves on having civilian
methods."
"How can that be if we have won India with guns and swords?"
"But that splendid jewel for England's tiara won," said he (and he might
as well have said crown), "we are bound to sheathe the sword and
govern by the Book of the Law."
"But if they won't have the Book of the Law!"
"They knew the power behind it."
"Not if we knock nothing harder than the Book of the Law upon their
skulls."
"Happily for the country, England's councils are not directed by boys!"
"Ah, but we're speaking of India, Mr. Shalders."
"You are presuming to speak of an act of insubordination committed by
a military officer under civilian command."
"What if we find an influential prince engaged in conspiracy?"
"We look for proof."
"Suppose we have good proof?"
"We summon him to exonerate himself."
"No; we mount and ride straight away into his territory, spot the treason,

deport him, and rule in his place!"
It was all very well for Mr. Shalders to say he talked to boys; he was
cornered again, as his shrug confessed.
The boys asked among themselves whether he would have taken the
same view if his Murat