resent half believed
it for the moment also. When he described the eerie darkness of the
butler's pantry, he shivered involuntarily, and he shut his eyes
once--ugh!--that was because he saw the blood spouting out of the
butler. He was turning up his trousers to show the mark of the butler's
boot on his leg when the lady was called away, and then Shovel shook
him, saying: "Darn yer, doesn't yer know as it's all your eye?" which
brought Tommy to his senses with a jerk.

"Sure's death, Shovel," he whispered, in awe, "I was thinking I done it,
every bit!"

Had her ladyship come back she would have found him a different boy. He
remembered now that Elspeth, for whom he had filled his pockets, was
praying for him; he could see her on her knees, saying, "Oh, God, I'se
praying for Tommy," and remorse took hold of him and shook him on his
seat. He broke into one hysterical laugh and then immediately began to
sob. This was the moment when Shovel should have got him quietly out of
the hall.

Members of the society discussing him afterwards with bated breath said
that never till they died could they forget her ladyship's face while he
did it. "But did you notice the boy's own face? It was positively
angelic." "Angelic, indeed; the little horror was intoxicated." No,
there was a doctor present, and according to him it was the meal that
had gone to the boy's head; he looked half starved. As for the
clergyman, he only said: "We shall lose her subscription; I am glad of
it."

Yes, Tommy was intoxicated, but with a beverage not recognized by the
faculty. What happened was this: Supper being finished, the time had
come for what Shovel called the jawing, and the boys were now mustered
in the body of the hall. The limited audience had gone to the gallery,
and unluckily all eyes except Shovel's were turned to the platform.
Shovel was apprehensive about Tommy, who was not exactly sobbing now;
but strange, uncontrollable sounds not unlike the winding up of a clock
proceeded from his throat; his face had flushed; there was a purposeful
look in his usually unreadable eye; his fingers were fidgeting on the
board in front of him, and he seemed to keep his seat with difficulty.

The personage who was to address the boys sat on the platform with
clergymen, members of committee, and some ladies, one of them Tommy's
patroness. Her ladyship saw Tommy and smiled to him, but obtained no
response. She had taken a front seat, a choice that she must h