in the far corner of
the sofa was aware of a slight pale boy, with large blue eyes and
light fair hair, who seemed ready to shrink through the floor. He saw
at a glance that the little stranger was just the boy whose first
half-year at a public school would be misery to himself if he were
left alone, or constant anxiety to any one who meant to see him
through his troubles. Tom was too honest to take in the youngster and
then let him shift for himself; and if he took him as his chum instead
of East, where were all his pet plans of making night-lines and
slings, and plotting expeditions to Brownsover Mills and Caldecott's
Spinney? East and he had made up their minds to get this study, and
then every night from locking-up till ten they would be together to
talk about fishing, read Marryat's novels,[1] and sort birds' eggs.
And this new boy would most likely never go out of the close, and
would be afraid of wet feet, and always getting laughed at, and called
Molly, or Jenny, or some derogatory[2] feminine nickname.

[1] #Marryat's novels#: stories of the sea and of adventure,
by Captain Marryat.

[2] #Derogatory#: here, contemptuous; belittling.

The matron watched him for a moment, and saw what was passing in his
mind, and so, like a wise negotiator, threw in an appeal to his warm
heart. "Poor little fellow," said she, in almost a whisper, "his
father's dead, and he's got no brothers. And his mamma, such a kind,
sweet lady, almost broke her heart at leaving him this morning; and
she said one of his sisters was like to die of decline, and so--"

"Well, well," burst in Tom, with something like a sigh at the effort.
"I suppose I must give up East. Come along, young un. What's your
name? We'll go and have some supper and then I'll show you our study."

"His name's George Arthur," said the matron, walking up to him with
Tom, who grasped his little delicate hand as the proper preliminary to
making a chum of him, and felt as if he could have blown him away.
"I've had his books and things put into the study, which his mamma has
had new papered, and the sofa covered, and new green-baize curtains
over the door." (The diplomatic matron threw this in, to show that the
new boy was contributing largely to the partnership comforts.) "And
Mrs. Arnold told me to say," she added, "that she should like you both
to come up to tea with her. You know the way, Master Brown, and the
things are just gone up, I know."

TEA WIT