gether. Tom had been considering how to
break his proposal of giving up the crib to the others, and having found
no better way (as indeed none better can ever be found by man or boy),
told them simply what had happened; how he had been to see Arthur, who
had talked to him upon the subject, and what he had said, and for his
part he had made up his mind, and wasn't going to use cribs any more:
and not being quite sure of his ground, took the high and pathetic tone,
and was proceeding to say, "how that having learnt his lessons with them
for so many years, it would grieve him much to put an end to the
arrangement, and he hoped at any rate that if they wouldn't go on with
him, they should still be just as good friends, and respect one
another's motives--but--"
Here the other boys, who had been listening with open eyes and ears,
burst in--
"Stuff and nonsense!" cried Gower. "Here, East, get down the crib and
find the place."
"Oh, Tommy, Tommy!" said East, proceeding to do as he was bidden, "that
it should ever have come to this. I knew Arthur'd be the ruin of you
some day, and you of me. And now the time's come,"--and he made a
doleful face.
"I don't know about ruin," answered Tom; "I know that you and I would
have had the sack long ago, if it hadn't been for him. And you know it
as well as I."
"Well, we were in a baddish way before he came, I own; but this new
crotchet of his is past a joke."
"Let's give it a trial, Harry; come--you know how often he has been
right and we wrong."
"Now, don't you two be jawing away about young Square-toes," struck in
Gower. "He's no end of a sucking wiseacre, I dare say, but we've no time
to lose, and I've got the fives'-court at half-past nine."
"I say, Gower," said Tom, appealingly, "be a good fellow, and let's try
if we can't get on without the crib."
"What! in this chorus? Why, we shan't get through ten lines."
"I say, Tom," cried East, having hit on a new idea, "don't you remember,
when we were in the upper fourth, and old Momus caught me construing off
the leaf of a crib which I'd torn out and put in my book, and which
would float out on to the floor, he sent me up to be flogged for it?"
"Yes, I remember it very well."
"Well, the Doctor, after he'd flogged me, told me himself that he didn't
flog me for using a translation, but for taking it into lesson, and
using it there when I hadn't learnt a word before I came in. He said
there was no harm in using a tran
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