第10章

TomandhisfatherhadalightedatthePeacockataboutsevenintheevening；andhavingheardwithunfeignedjoythepaternalorder，atthebar，ofsteaksandoyster-sauceforsupperinhalfanhour，andseenhisfatherseatedcozilybythebrightfireinthecoffee-roomwiththepaperinhishand，Tomhadrunouttoseeabouthim，hadwonderedatallthevehiclespassingandrepassing，andhadfraternizedwiththebootsandhostler，fromwhomheascertainedthattheTally-howasatip-topgoer——tenmilesanhourincludingstoppages——andsopunctualthatalltheroadsettheirclocksbyher。

Thenbeingsummonedtosupper，hehadregaledhimselfinoneofthebrightlittleboxesofthePeacockcoffee-room，onthebeef-

steakandunlimitedoyster-sauceandbrownstout(tastedthenforthefirsttime——adaytobemarkedforeverbyTomwithawhitestone)；hadatfirstattendedtotheexcellentadvicewhichhisfatherwasbestowingonhimfromoverhisglassofsteamingbrandy-and-water，andthenbegannodding，fromtheunitedeffectsofthestout，thefire，andthelecture；tilltheSquire，observingTom’sstate，andrememberingthatitwasnearlynineo’clock，andthattheTally-holeftatthree，sentthelittlefellowofftothechambermaid，withashakeofthehand(Tomhavingstipulatedinthemorningbeforestartingthatkissingshouldnowceasebetweenthem)，andafewpartingwords:

“Andnow，Tom，myboy，“saidtheSquire，“rememberyouaregoing，atyourownearnestrequest，tobechuckedintothisgreatschool，likeayoungbear，withallyourtroublesbeforeyou——earlierthanweshouldhavesentyouperhaps。Ifschoolsarewhattheywereinmytime，you’llseeagreatmanycruelblackguardthingsdone，andhearadealoffoul，badtalk。Butneverfear。Youtellthetruth，keepabraveandkindheart，andneverlistentoorsayanythingyouwouldn’thaveyourmotherandsisterhear，andyou’llneverfeelashamedtocomehome，orwetoseeyou。“

TheallusiontohismothermadeTomfeelratherchoky，andhewouldhavelikedtohavehuggedhisfatherwell，ifithadn’tbeenfortherecentstipulation。

Asitwas，heonlysqueezedhisfather’shand，andlookedbravelyupandsaid，“I’lltry，father。“

“Iknowyouwill，myboy。Isyourmoneyallsafe？

“Yes，“saidTom，divingintoonepockettomakesure。

“Andyourkeys？“saidtheSquire。

“Allright，“saidTom，divingintotheotherpocket。

“Well，then，good-night。Godblessyou！I’lltellbootstocallyou，andbeuptoseeyouoff。“

Tomwascarriedoffbythechambermaidinabrownstudy，fromwhichhewasrousedinacleanlittleattic，bythatbuxompersoncallinghimalittledarlingandkissinghimasshelefttheroom；whichindignityhewastoomuchsurprisedtoresent。

Andstillthinkingofhisfather’slastwords，andthelookwithwhichtheywerespoken，hekneltdownandprayedthat，comewhatmight，hemightneverbringshameorsorrowonthedearfolkathome。

Indeed，theSquire’slastwordsdeservedtohavetheireffect，fortheyhadbeentheresultofmuchanxiousthought。AllthewayuptoLondonhehadponderedwhatheshouldsaytoTombywayofpartingadvice——somethingthattheboycouldkeepinhisheadreadyforuse。Bywayofassistingmeditation，hehadevengonethelengthoftakingouthisflintandsteelandtinder，andhammeringawayforaquarterofanhourtillhehadmanufacturedalightforalongTrichinopolicheroot，whichhesilentlypuffed，tothenosmallwonderofcoachee，whowasanoldfriend，andaninstitutionontheBathroad，andwhoalwaysexpectedatalkontheprospectsanddoings，agriculturalandsocial，ofthewholecountry，whenhecarriedtheSquire。

TocondensetheSquire’smeditation，itwassomewhatasfollows:

“Iwon’ttellhimtoreadhisBible，andloveandserveGod；ifhedon’tdothatforhismother’ssakeandteaching，hewon’tformine。ShallIgointothesortoftemptationshe’llmeetwith？No，Ican’tdothat。Neverdoforanoldfellowtogointosuchthingswithaboy。Hewon’tunderstandme。Dohimmoreharmthangood，tentoone。ShallItellhimtomindhiswork，andsayhe’ssenttoschooltomakehimselfagoodscholar？Well，butheisn’tsenttoschoolforthat——atanyrate，notforthatmainly。Idon’tcareastrawforGreekparticles，orthedigamma；nomoredoeshismother。Whatishesenttoschoolfor？Well，partlybecausehewantedsotogo。

Ifhe’llonlyturnoutabrave，helpful，truth-tellingEnglishman，andagentleman，andaChristian，that’sallI

want，“thoughttheSquire；anduponthisviewofthecaseheframedhislastwordsofadvicetoTom，whichwerewellenoughsuitedtohispurpose。

FortheywereTom’sfirstthoughtsashetumbledoutofbedatthesummonsofboots，andproceededrapidlytowashanddresshimself。Attenminutestothreehewasdowninthecoffee-roominhisstockings，carryinghishat-box，coat，andcomforterinhishand；andtherehefoundhisfathernursingabrightfire，andacupofhotcoffeeandahardbiscuitonthetable。

“Now，then，Tom，giveusyourthingshere，anddrinkthis。

There’snothinglikestartingwarm，oldfellow。“

Tomaddressedhimselftothecoffee，andprattledawaywhileheworkedhimselfintohisshoesandhisgreatcoat，wellwarmedthrough——aPetershamcoatwithvelvetcollar，madetightaftertheabominablefashionofthosedays。Andjustasheisswallowinghislastmouthful，windinghiscomforterroundhisthroat，andtuckingtheendsintothebreastofhiscoat，thehornsounds；bootslooksinandsays，“Tally-ho，sir；“andtheyheartheringandtherattleofthefourfasttrottersandthetown-madedrag，asitdashesuptothePeacock。

“Anythingforus，Bob？“saystheburlyguard，droppingdownfrombehind，andslappinghimselfacrossthechest。

“Younggen’lm’n，Rugby；threeparcels，Leicester；hampero’

game，Rugby，“answershostler。

“Tellyounggenttolookalive，“saysguard，openingthehind-

bootandshootingintheparcelsafterexaminingthembythelamps。“Here；shovetheportmanteauupa-top。I’llfastenhimpresently——Nowthen，sir，jumpupbehind。“

“Good-bye，father——myloveathome。“Alastshakeofthehand。

UpgoesTom，theguardcatchinghishatboxandholdingonwithonehand，whilewiththeotherheclapsthehorntohismouth。

Toot，toot，toot！thehostlersletgotheirheads，thefourbaysplungeatthecollar，andawaygoestheTally-hointothedarkness，forty-fivesecondsfromthetimetheypulledup。

Hostler，boots，andtheSquirestandlookingafterthemunderthePeacocklamp。

“Sharpwork！“saystheSquire，andgoesinagaintohisbed，thecoachbeingwelloutofsightandhearing。

Tomstandsuponthecoachandlooksbackathisfather’sfigureaslongashecanseeit；andthentheguard，havingdisposedofhisluggage，comestoananchor，andfinisheshisbuttoningsandotherpreparationsforfacingthethreehoursbeforedawn——nojokeforthosewhomindedcold，onafastcoachinNovember，inthereignofhislateMajesty。

Isometimesthinkthatyouboysofthisgenerationareadealtendererfellowsthanweusedtobe。Atanyrateyou’remuchmorecomfortabletravellers，forIseeeveryoneofyouwithhisrugorplaid，andotherdodgesforpreservingthecaloric，andmostofyougoingin，thosefuzzy，dusty，paddedfirst-classcarriages。Itwasanotheraffairaltogether，adarkrideonthetopoftheTally-ho，Icantellyou，inatightPetershamcoat，andyourfeetdanglingsixinchesfromthefloor。Thenyouknewwhatcoldwas，andwhatitwastobewithoutlegs，fornotabitoffeelinghadyouinthemafterthefirsthalf-hour。Butithaditspleasures，theolddarkride。Firsttherewastheconsciousnessofsilentendurance，sodeartoeveryEnglishman——

ofstandingoutagainstsomething，andnotgivingin。Thentherewasthemusicoftherattlingharness，andtheringofthehorses’feetonthehardroad，andtheglareofthetwobrightlampsthroughthesteaminghoarfrost，overtheleaders’ears，intothedarkness，andthecheerytootoftheguard’shorn，towarnsomedrowsypikemanorthehostleratthenextchange；andthelookingforwardtodaylight；andlast，butnotleast，thedelightofreturningsensationinyourtoes。

Thenthebreakofdawnandthesunrise，wherecantheybeeverseeninperfectionbutfromacoachroof？Youwantmotionandchangeandmusictoseethemintheirglory——notthemusicofsingingmenandsingingwomen，butgood，silentmusic，whichsetsitselfinyourownhead，theaccompanimentofworkandgettingovertheground。

TheTally-hoispastSt。Albans，andTomisenjoyingtheride，thoughhalf-frozen。Theguard，whoisalonewithhimonthebackofthecoach，issilent，buthasmuffledTom’sfeetupinstraw，andputtheendofanoat-sackoverhisknees。Thedarknesshasdrivenhiminwards，andhehasgoneoverhislittlepastlife，andthoughtofallhisdoingsandpromises，andofhismotherandsister，andhisfather’slastwords；andhasmadefiftygoodresolutions，andmeanstobearhimselflikeabraveBrownasheis，thoughayoungone。Thenhehasbeenforwardintothemysteriousboy-future，speculatingastowhatsortofplaceRugbyis，andwhattheydothere，andcallingupallthestoriesofpublicschoolswhichhehasheardfrombigboysintheholidays。Heischoke-fullofhopeandlife，notwithstandingthecold，andkickshisheelsagainsttheback-

board，andwouldliketosing，onlyhedoesn’tknowhowhisfriendthesilentguardmighttakeit。

Andnowthedawnbreaksattheendofthefourthstage，andthecoachpullsupatalittleroadsideinnwithhugestablesbehind。Thereisabrightfiregleamingthroughtheredcurtainsofthebarwindow，andthedoorisopen。Thecoachmancatcheshiswhipintoadoublethong，andthrowsittothehostler；thesteamofthehorsesrisesstraightupintotheair。

Hehasputthemalongoverthelasttwomiles，andistwominutesbeforehistime。Herollsdownfromtheboxandintotheinn。Theguardrollsoffbehind。“Now，sir，“sayshetoTom，“youjustjumpdown，andI’llgiveyouadropofsomethingtokeepthecoldout。“