第13章

meetingroof，ashisnewfriendcalledit。Butthisdidn’tquitesuithisfastidioustasteinanotherminute，beingtooshiny；so，astheywalkupthetown，theydiveintoNixon’sthehatter’s，andTomisarrayed，tohisutterastonishment，andwithoutpayingforit，inaregulationcat-skinatseven-and-

sixpence，Nixonundertakingtosendthebesthatuptothematron’sroom，School-house，inhalfanhour。

“YoucansendinanoteforatileonMonday，andmakeitallright，youknow，“saidMentor；“we’reallowedtwoseven-and-

sixersahalf，besideswhatwebringfromhome。“

Tombythistimebegantobeconsciousofhisnewsocialpositionanddignities，andtoluxuriateintherealizedambitionofbeingapublicschool-boyatlast，withavestedrightofspoilingtwoseven-and-sixersinhalfayear。

“Yousee，“saidhisfriend，astheystrolleduptowardstheschool-gates，inexplanationofhisconduct，“agreatdealdependsonhowafellowcutsupatfirst。Ifhe’sgotnothingoddabouthim，andanswersstraightforward，andholdshisheadup，hegetson。Now，you’lldoverywellastorig，allbutthatcap。YouseeI’mdoingthehandsomethingbyyou，becausemyfatherknowsyours；besides，Iwanttopleasetheoldlady。

Shegavemehalfasov。thishalf，andperhaps’lldoubleitnext，ifIkeepinhergoodbooks。“

There’snothingforcandourlikealower-schoolboy，andEastwasagenuinespecimen——frank，hearty，andgood-natured，well-

satisfiedwithhimselfandhisposition，andchoke-fulloflifeandspirits，andalltheRugbyprejudicesandtraditionswhichhehadbeenabletogettogetherinthelongcourseofonehalf-

yearduringwhichhehadbeenattheSchool-house。

AndTom，notwithstandinghisbumptiousness，feltfriendswithhimatonce，andbegansuckinginallhiswaysandprejudices，asfastashecouldunderstandthem。

Eastwasgreatinthecharacterofcicerone。HecarriedTomthroughthegreatgates，wherewereonlytwoorthreeboys。

Thesesatisfiedthemselveswiththestockquestions，“Youfellow，what’syourname？Wheredoyoucomefrom？Howoldareyou？Wheredoyouboard？“and，“Whatformareyouin？“Andsotheypassedonthroughthequadrangleandasmallcourtyard，uponwhichlookeddownalotoflittlewindows(belonging，ashisguideinformedhim，tosomeoftheSchool-housestudies)，intothematron’sroom，whereEastintroducedTomtothatdignitary；madehimgiveupthekeyofhistrunk，thatthematronmightunpackhislinen，andtoldthestoryofthehatandofhisownpresenceofmind:upontherelationwhereofthematronlaughinglyscoldedhimforthecoolestnewboyinthehouse；andEast，indignantattheaccusationofnewness，marchedTomoffintothequadrangle，andbeganshowinghimtheschools，andexamininghimastohisliteraryattainments；theresultofwhichwasaprophecythattheywouldbeinthesameform，andcoulddotheirlessonstogether。

“Andnowcomeinandseemystudy——weshallhavejusttimebeforedinner；andafterwards，beforecallingover，we’lldotheclose。“

TomfollowedhisguidethroughtheSchool-househall，whichopensintothequadrangle。Itisagreatroom，thirtyfeetlongandeighteenhigh，orthereabouts，withtwogreattablesrunningthewholelength，andtwolargefireplacesattheside，withblazingfiresinthem，atoneofwhichsomedozenboyswerestandingandlounging，someofwhomshoutedtoEasttostop；butheshotthroughwithhisconvoy，andlandedhiminthelong，darkpassages，withalargefireattheendofeach，uponwhichthestudiesopened。Intooneofthese，inthebottompassage，Eastboltedwithourhero，slammingandboltingthedoorbehindthem，incaseofpursuitfromthehall，andTomwasforthefirsttimeinaRugbyboy’scitadel。

Hehadn’tbeenpreparedforseparatestudies，andwasnotalittleastonishedanddelightedwiththepalaceinquestion。

Itwasn’tverylarge，certainly，beingaboutsixfeetlongbyfourbroad。Itcouldn’tbecalledlight，astherewerebarsandagratingtothewindow；whichlittleprecautionswerenecessaryinthestudiesontheground-floorlookingoutintotheclose，topreventtheexitofsmallboysafterlockingup，andtheentranceofcontrabandarticles。Butitwasuncommonlycomfortabletolookat，Tomthought。Thespaceunderthewindowatthefartherendwasoccupiedbyasquaretablecoveredwithareasonablycleanandwholeredandbluechecktablecloth；ahard-seatedsofacoveredwithredstuffoccupiedoneside，runninguptotheend，andmakingaseatforone，orbysittingclose，fortwo，atthetableandagoodstoutwoodenchairaffordedaseattoanotherboy，sothatthreecouldsitandworktogether。Thewallswerewainscotedhalf-wayup，thewainscotbeingcoveredwithgreenbaize，theremainderwithabright-

patternedpaper，onwhichhungthreeorfourprintsofdogs’

heads；GrimaldiwinningtheAylesburysteeple-chase；AmyRobsart，thereigningWaverleybeautyoftheday；andTomCrib，inapostureofdefence，whichdidnocredittothescienceofthathero，iftrulyrepresented。Overthedoorwerearowofhat-pegs，andoneachsidebookcaseswithcupboardsatthebottom，shelvesandcupboardsbeingfilledindiscriminatelywithschool-books，acuportwo，amouse-trapandcandlesticks，leatherstraps，afustianbag，andsomecurious-lookingarticleswhichpuzzledTomnotalittle，untilhisfriendexplainedthattheywereclimbing-irons，andshowedtheiruse。Acricket-batandsmallfishing-rodstoodupinonecorner。

ThiswastheresidenceofEastandanotherboyinthesameform，andhadmoreinterestforTomthanWindsorCastle，oranyotherresidenceintheBritishIsles。Forwashenotabouttobecomethejointownerofasimilarhome，thefirstplacehecouldcallhisown？One’sown！Whatacharmthereisinthewords！Howlongittakesboyandmantofindouttheirworth！Howfastmostofusholdontothem——fasterandmorejealously，thenearerwearetothatgeneralhomeintowhichwecantakenothing，butmustgonakedaswecameintotheworld！Whenshallwelearnthathewhomultipliethpossessionsmultipliethtroubles，andthattheonesingleuseofthingswhichwecallourownisthattheymaybehiswhohathneedofthem？

“AndshallIhaveastudylikethistoo？“saidTom。

“Yes，ofcourse；you’llbechummedwithsomefellowonMonday，andyoucansitheretillthen。“

“Whatniceplaces！“

“They’rewellenough，“answeredEast，patronizingly，“onlyuncommoncoldatnightssometimes。Gower——that’smychum——andImakeafirewithpaperontheflooraftersuppergenerally，onlythatmakesitsosmoky。“

“Butthere’sabigfireoutinthepassage，“saidTom。

“Preciouslittlewegetoutofthat，though，“saidEast。“Jonestheprepostorhasthestudyatthefireend，andhehasriggedupanironrodandgreenbaizecurtainacrossthepassage，whichhedrawsatnight，andsitstherewithhisdooropen；sohegetsallthefire，andhearsifwecomeoutofourstudiesaftereight，ormakeanoise。However，he’stakentosittinginthefifth-formroomlately，sowedogetabitoffirenowsometimes；onlytokeepasharplookoutthathedon’tcatchyoubehindhiscurtainwhenhecomesdown——that’sall。“

Aquarterpastonenowstruck，andthebellbegantollingfordinner；sotheywentintothehallandtooktheirplaces，Tomattheverybottomofthesecondtable，nexttotheprepostor(whosatattheendtokeeporderthere)，andEastafewpaceshigher。AndnowTomforthefirsttimesawhisfutureschool-

fellowsinabody。Intheycame，somehotandruddyfromfootballorlongwalks，somepaleandchillyfromhardreadingintheirstudies，somefromloiteringoverthefireatthepastrycook’s，daintymortals，bringingwiththempicklesandsaucebottlestohelpthemwiththeirdinners。Andagreatbig-

beardedman，whomTomtookforamaster，begancallingoverthenames，whilethegreatjointswerebeingrapidlycarvedonthethirdtableinthecornerbytheoldvergerandthehousekeeper。

Tom’sturncamelast，andmeanwhilehewasalleyes，lookingfirstwithaweatthegreatman，whosatclosetohim，andwashelpedfirst，andwhoreadahard-lookingbookallthetimehewaseating；andwhenhegotupandwalkedofftothefire，atthesmallboysroundhim，someofwhomwerereading，andtheresttalkinginwhisperstooneanother，orstealingoneanother’sbread，orshootingpellets，ordiggingtheirforksthroughthetablecloth。However，notwithstandinghiscuriosity，hemanagedtomakeacapitaldinnerbythetimethebigmancalled“Standup！“andsaidgrace。

Assoonasdinnerwasover，andTomhadbeenquestionedbysuchofhisneighboursaswerecuriousastohisbirth，parentage，education，andotherlikematters，East，whoevidentlyenjoyedhisnewdignityofpatronandmentor，proposedhavingalookattheclose，whichTom，athirstforknowledge，gladlyassentedto；

andtheywentoutthroughthequadrangleandpastthebigfivescourt，intothegreatplayground。

“That’sthechapel，yousee，“saidEast；“andthere，justbehindit，istheplaceforfights。Youseeit’smostoutofthewayofthemasters，whoallliveontheotherside，anddon’tcomebyhereafterfirstlessonorcallings-over。That’swhenthefightscomeoff。Andallthispartwhereweareisthelittle-

sideground，rightuptothetrees；andontheothersideofthetreesisthebig-sideground，wherethegreatmatchesareplayed。Andthere’stheislandinthefarthestcorner；you’llknowthatwellenoughnexthalf，whenthere’sislandfagging。I

say，it’shorridcold；let’shavearunacross。“AndawaywentEast，Tomclosebehindhim。Eastwasevidentlyputtinghisbestfootforemost；andTom，whowasmightyproudofhisrunning，andnotalittleanxioustoshowhisfriendthat，althoughanewboy，hewasnomilksop，laidhimselfdowntoworkinhisverybeststyle。Rightacrosstheclosetheywent，eachdoingallheknew，andtherewasn’tayardbetweenthemwhentheypulledupattheislandmoat。

“Isay，“saidEast，assoonashegothiswind，lookingwithmuchincreasedrespectatTom，“youain’tabadscud，notbynomeans。Well，I’maswarmasatoastnow。“

“ButwhydoyouwearwhitetrousersinNovember？“saidTom。HehadbeenstruckbythispeculiarityinthecostumeofalmostalltheSchool-houseboys。

“Why，blessus，don’tyouknow？No；Iforgot。Why，to-day’stheSchool-housematch。OurhouseplaysthewholeoftheSchoolatfootball。Andweallwearwhitetrousers，toshow’emwedon’tcareforhacks。You’reinlucktocometo-day。Youjustwillseeamatch；andBrooke’sgoingtoletmeplayinquarters。

That’smorethanhe’lldoforanyotherlower-schoolboy，exceptJames，andhe’sfourteen。“

“Who’sBrooke？“

“Why，thatbigfellowwhocalledoveratdinner，tobesure。

He’scockoftheschool，andheadoftheSchool-houseside，andthebestkickandchargerinRugby。“

“Oh，butdoshowmewheretheyplay。Andtellmeaboutit。I

lovefootballso，andhaveplayedallmylife。Won’tBrookeletmeplay？“