And, as Wellington did, I would charge at the end of the day. One
splendid way of charging, I thought, would be to die immediately.
That would be most effective. How Fillet would prick up his ears on
Monday morning when he heard the Head Master say to the school
assembled in the Great Hall: "Your prayers are asked for your
schoolfellow, Rupert Ray, who is lying at the point of death." And
on Tuesday, when he should say in a shaking voice: "Your
schoolfellow, Ray, died early this morning. His passing was
beautiful; and may my last moments be like his." And then there
would be the Dead March.

Having no one to talk to, I drew out from among the crumbs and
rubbish in my pockets a letter that had arrived from my mother that
morning. My young mother's love for me was always of the extravagant
kind, and the words with which she closed this letter were:

"I do hope you are having a magnificent time and that everybody
is fond of you and nice to you. I must stop now, so good-bye,
my darling little son, and God bless you. With heaps of love
from your ever devoted and affectionate Mother."

It was funny that I had not even noticed those words when I
hurriedly read them in the morning. But now I found them strangely
comforting, strangely satisfying.

A slap on the back awoke me from my reverie. It was Doe.

"Come along, Rupert. I know you didn't do it. Or, if you did, I
don't care. We're twins."

"Go away. You'll get into a dreadful row if you're caught talking to
me."

"I don't care. They won't think any the worse of me, whatever they
do."

"Go away, I tell you. Or, if you don't, I shall have to, and I'm
very comfortable here."

"I shan't. And if you try to escape me I'll follow you."

"Oh, why can't you go away?" I grumbled with something like a sob.
"Go away. Go away."

But Doe persisted. In full view of the prefects he chatted gaily to
me. Once, as Radley passed, he slipped his arm into mine. And when
the master was out of hearing he asked:

"I s'pose Radley knows you're in Coventry?"

"Of course. Everybody does."

"Do you think he saw I had my arm in yours?"

"I should think so. You made it pretty obvious."

"I wonder what he thought."

All this time the skin on my forehead seemed to tighten and my
cheeks to tingle with warmth. Towards evening my temples began to
beat regularly. At these symptoms I was rather thrilled than
otherwise, for I felt there was a distinct prospect of my t