ad beenthe private home of a family of the name of Boone, and in itsearly days the estate had been considerable. But the progress ofthe years had brought changes to the Boones. Money losses

nd the latest Boone had come to the conclusion that to kee

e ordinary purchaser, and theestate had been so whittled down in the course of time that it wasinadequate

o miles from its gates. It was nearthe sea. There were fields for cricket and football, an

ossop, and the matron, of twenty-four boys,the butler, the cook, the odd-job-man, two housem

ech on myfirst evening was White, the butler. There are some men one likesat sight. White was one of them. Even for a butler

inginess, as it were, that seemed unusual in abutler. From one or two things he said, I gathered that he hadtravelled a good deal. Altogether he inter

ancy at about the same time that I wassecuring mine. We agreed that it was a pretty place

orning, at eight o'c

evolutionizing what ideasI possessed of the

tions made as a boy at my own private school, whenmasters were an enviable race who went to bed when they liked, hadno preparation to do, and cou

magnificent idleness, does not realizeis that the unfortunate is really putting in a spell of exceedinglyhard work. He is 'taking duty'. And 'taking duty' is a t

cient,without being aware of it. There may be other professions whichcall for a fiercer display of energy, but for the man with

d it, and

I have talkedwith assistant-masters since, and I have gathered from them thatheadmasters of private schools are divided into two classes: theworkers and the runners-up-to-London. Mr Ab

ld take me aside. The fo

--Mr

some wildcreature caught within a trap, who sees th

' I mean onewho was thinking of sending his son to Sanstead House. You mayhave twenty children, but unless you send them to his school, aschoolmaster will refuse to dignify you with

e long drive, and mywork would begin, and with

er boys; check stone-throwing,going-on-the-wet-grass, worrying-the-cook, teasing-the-dog,making-too-much-noise, and, in particular, discourage all formsof _hara-kiri_ s

helping the pudding, playing football,reading prayers, teaching, herding stragglers in f

ing to snatch the necessary time to combine kidnapping with myother duties. Of all the learned professions it seemed to me that

ad House belonged to t

dideven more. His endeavour to make Sanstead House a place where thedelicately nurtured scions of the governing class might feel

lossop, had most of thequalities that make for success, but no luck. Properly backed upby Mr Abney, he

y's head because the latter persisted in making a noiseafter I had told him to stop. I doubt if a man can experience sokeenly in any other way that thrill which comes from the knowledgethat the populace is his f

ng of the term before I made the

ered that he was not at school, I had felt alarmed. HadCynthia sent me

Mr Abney drew me as

--Mr

that I had heard those s

. I have animportant appointment with the father of a bo

e the Little N

s brother was a stolid boy withfreckles. He had two claims to popular fame. He could hold hisbr

ich. Would you like tobe rich, sir? I wish I was rich. If I was rich, I'd buy all sortsof things. I believe I'm going to be rich when I grow up. I heardfather talking to a l

t. When he spoke again, it was toto

to make up twopence to buy a

got

bman bearing alarge box, and the odd-job man carrying two suitcases. I havegiven precedence to the Worried Look because it was a thing byitself. To say that Mr Abney wore

study. He seemed a self-possessed boy, very like but, if anything,

d, and my employer came out. He

search of you. Can you spareme a mom

r--er--remarkable boy. He is an American, theson of a Mr Elmer Ford. As he will be to

he pec

s face. He applied a silkhandkerchi

vantages of a singularly refined home-life--hemay be said to be--ah--somewhat peculiar. While I have no doubtthat _au fond ... au fond_ he is a charm

is life, I suspect, l

acomplete absence of that diffidence, that childish capacity f

ocious, and--unusual in a boy of his age.... Heexpresses himself in a curious manner

sed his handkerchief onc

d was singularly outspoken--was tooindulgent, in fact--ah--spoilt him. Indeed--you will, of course,respect my confidence--that was the real reason for the divorcewhich--ah--has unhappily come about. Mr Ford regards this schoolas in a measure--shall I say?--an antidote. He wishes there to beno lack of wholesome discipline. So that I

ctly,'

it would be as well if yousaw him now,

d I went to the study

pened the door. Moving into the room, I perceiveda pair of boots resting on the gr

the ceiling. As I came towards him, hedrew at the cigarette between his fingers, glanced a

ularly unprepossessingyouth. That portrait had flattered him. He had a stout body and around, unwholesome fac

mymanner in addressing him was brisker and more incisive than

y that cigar

abrupt--he gave me a curious sensationof being a man of my own age--when he produced a si

ew it on to a table. For thefirst time

a hell of a ne

n rapid order,This, I took it, was what Mr Abney

n't swear

narrowly for the sp

e you?' h

roduced

want to come

n. It's the main duty

he assistant-ma

echnical point--you'resupposed to call me "sir"

u what? Up

g your

way. Take

y that he had considered myproposition, b

your tutor "sir" wh

me laugh. I've g

verwhelming respect for thos

my tutors, I

al. Had you a tutor

lau

nly about t

devils!'

s swear

well taken. I

happened to them? Did

them. I'm a pretty toughpropositio

or the cigarette-c

e me tired

nsation's

an swell around, stop

efined my j

his joint. The hot-air merchantwas

to Mr Arnold Abney, and th

nobody but him is allo

going to,because the Dad's paying double fees, and he

have a grasp of

our life

im as he sprawl

a funny ki

outraged. His li

me as if you wanted

t too fresh. Who do yo

ca andstudied it on its native asphalt. You superfatted millionaire kidsare all the same. If Dad doesn't jerk you into the office beforeyou're out of knickerbockers, you just run to seed

e, one I hadstudied and brooded upon since the even

. He alwayshad all the money he wanted: never worked: gr

yaw

d I'm boring

yourself,' said

moral ofit was that a boy who is going to have money nee

retched

What do you reckon

him tho

t youseem to me to want most is exercise. I'll take you for

nk you're going to

oon be running too. And, years hence, when you win theMarathon at the O

h, s

y watch. 'Meanwhile, you hadbetter go

t me in open-

'B

'B

more amused

do you think I u

time you go her

, the door opened, and Mrs

time he came t

I was saying,

served the Little Nu

looked at me

r saw suc

y vacillation now, and Authority would suffer a set-backfrom which it would b

or. Outside he screamed incessantly. Hekicked me in the stomach and then on the knee. He con

later I sat in the stu

sin bed, and seemed to have made up his mind to submit to theposition. An air of restrained jubilation prevailed among theelder m

not entered intothe matter. If I had had any picture in my mind's eye, it was ofmyself stealing away softly into the night with a docile child,his little hand laid trustfully in

re getting