Puck — April 1877 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PUCK. It was a day of mingled delight and_disap- pointment when Gregory took his grandson to London to see soldiers and a pantomime. They reached Whitehall in time to see the trooping of the colors. ‘The old gentleman was all eagerness. He had anticipated for many days the flash of excitement that would light up his valiant little grandson's face when he saw in reality the soldiers he had so long emulated. Hugh was not eager, but apprehensive. He had a vague sense of a retributive judgment, and considered what the result might be if the soldiers took to lashing him .as he had lashed the servants. There was a crowd collected in the square around the soldiers, who were just about to march, and Gregory Biron had to lift his grand- son up to see the grand sight. The boy was heavy and limp; his chin was twitching. At the moment he caught sight of the red-coated men they were raising their rifles to salute, whilst simultaneously the drums rolled and the band blared out. Hugh screamed with terror. ‘There was an ensign with a sword, whose face was exactly like that of Thomas, the ex-foot- man. The child struggled frantically as he screamed, and the grandfather, fearing to drop him, held him tightly. ‘The soldiers stepped forward, and Hugh furiously attacked his grandfather's face with his clenched fists. Gre- gory dropped him quickly, and the boy, find- ing himself released, took to his heels; nor could the old gentleman catch him until he was brought to bay a policeman in Pall Mall. The pantomime was a great success; but when, some time after, Gregory, before com- pany, put the old question, “ What will you be, imy boy, when you grow up?” the little chap replied, “ Clown at a featre; that’s what I'll be.” After this Gregory thought it high time that the boy’s education should be attended to. Between his seventh and tenth year Master Biron had many tutors—a dozen or more. At first young men were engaged, but they would not endure slavery under Hugh’s dispensation. ‘Then Gregory tried old men, thinking, not il- logically, that they must be less independent than younger and stronger tutors; but though they were not wanting in humility and submis- sion, they were physically incapable of endur- ing such practical inconveniences as their pupil designed for their discomfort. As a last re- source, a middle-aged man was selected, and it seemed as though he really understood the busi- ness before him. Mr. Silas Fox never lost his temper. He smiled at all times. ‘The most trivial and the most important actions of his life were con- ducted smilingly.. It concealed every other expression of the face from casual observers; nevertheless his smile was in itself capable of many varieties of expression. His disposition appeared to correspond with the serenity of his facial appearance. ~ Every action seemed to be the suggestion of a perfectly impartial judg- ment, and the logic that overspread his actions obscured: the ‘motive which prompted. them. When, for an instance, he explained to Gregory Biron, on the first evening of his engagement, the origin of chilblains, and the serious conse- quences they entailed upon children, suggesting that soft woollen slippers during those winter months would be more healthful and pleasant to Master Biron than boots of solid leather, the grandfather had no suspicion that the new tutor had been having his shins kicked by Hugh in the afternoon, and was therefore greatly inter- ested in the substitution of a soft for a: hard casing to the young gentleman's toes. A fool would have bared his bleeding shin to the de- light of that wicked, cruel, old gentleman, and have obtained no: redress. But Mr. Fox was not.a fool; and the next day Hugh had no ter- ror in his foot. Hngh disliked his tutor the first day he saw him. But this was not surprising; he disliked slaves of all kinds intuitively, and without dis- credit to himself. In this country, who will be slaves deserve to be despised. Hugh would have kept no slave of a tutor had his wishes been consulted. Any but a slave could have ruled the boy and earned his love. Master Biron, indeed, began to feel respect for his new tutor, when, after some experience, he found that, sooner or later, Mr. Fox always managed to get the best of a bargain and have his own way. When his ator ad ised him to do a thing, Hugh did it; but he hated Mr. Fox nevertheless, and longed for the day to come when he should go to school. And now Gregory Biron suffered the infirm- ities that age brings: exercise was unpleasant to him; he could not eat, nor drink, nor sleep, with his former disregard of circumstances and conditions. But though his physical powers were fading, his mental faculties were as bright and active as ever. It was the phosphorescent glow that accom- panies decay. His ailments increased rather than diminished the acerbity of his mind, and he would have relished beyond everything the pleasures of so- ciety, had society possessed a like relish for him. Acquaintances—friends he had none— discontinued to call upon him, and were never at home when he called upon them. ‘This es- trangement was very inscrutable to the old gentleman; it was less so to Mr. Fox, who saw how materially it affected his position with Gregory. Every day he became more neces- sary to him. When he was not in a punt upon the river fishing, Gregory was within doors en- joying the company of Mr. Fox, who played piquet and backgammon with him, and read aloud when desired. Gregory liked the stormy debates and the Saturday Review, and occa- sionally a chapter or two from Swift or Sterne. *Mr. Fox certainly did his utmost to please his employer, which is indeed a servant's duty. He knew a little law, and by reference to the parish archives he discovered certain rights with regard to fishing, shooting, felling of timber, etc., which Gregory was lawfully entitled to exercise. It is true those rights exercised could do Gregory no earthly good, and would cause considerable annoyance to his neighbors; but then Gregory could stop their enjoying a privi- lege to which they had no right. A dozen notice-boards were forthwith affixed to the property. It was forbidden to fish beyond a certain part; shooting was strictly prohibited over an acre of scrubby, barren land, where game was never scen; and the police had strict orders to take into custody any person or per- sons found trespassing thereon. A fine avenue of trees, which bounded an adjoining estate, was felled; a footway was stopped. ‘The gentlemen of the neighborhood. were violently: angry, and wrote to remonstrate. ‘This delighted old Biron, and he set Mr. Fox to compose answers, gentlemanly, sarcastic, legal, in which task that gentleman succeeded to his employer's entire satisfaction. “They're as good as the Saturday; capital!” cried the old gentleman, rubbing his hands gleefully. ‘Mr. Fox was hated generally by all who knew him, and the people affected by Gregory's spite saw the tutor’s hand in these works. Sir Hum- phrey Clinker, of the adjoining estate, got over the wire-fence that divided his from Gregory’s domain, scrambled over the felled timber, pulled Mr. Fox's nose, and then gave him a kick. Mr. Fox went home smiling. “Very pleasant man, Sir Humphrey Clinker,” said he. “never. found. him very pleasant,” growled Gregory. set thought that.” “Why?” “ He was speaking about pulling your nose.” “Curse his impudence! Where did you meet him?” “Walking through your fields.” “My fields?” “Yes, That made it seem odd that he should speak so unkindly. Perhaps he objects to having the timber cut.” 4 “Pll puta stop to his walking over my fields. What can I do to him, hey? Bring an action for trespass, “The law requires that the trespasser shall be first warned. He has not been warned.” “Then what shall I do?” » “There is only a wire-fence between the two estates,”” “T'll have 2 great ditch cut.” “A wall would be less expensive. It is true his windows look on to that part of the grounds, and a wall is unpleasant to the eye.”” “Then I will have a wall built. eight feet high.” “Common bricks; yellow bricks would be almost too ugly.” “Not a jot. bricks. [never go near the place. him repent his insolence.”” “Of course, you would not insult him by—” Mr. Fox paused, and shook his head with a smile. “Wouldn’t I, though! Go on, Fox; goon! What the deuce are you shaking your *:ad and grinning like a cat for?” “T was thinking how annoying it would be if the top of the wall were protected with broken bottles.” “By George, a splendid idea! I will have every beer-bottle in the place broken up and stuck on the top, with the red labels turned to his windo By a doz-a acts of this kind did Mr. Fox gratify his own feelings and render himself in- valuable to his employer. He knew all-Gre- gory’s affairs, and by degrees took into his hands the whole.executive management of his estate; and when, at length, he considered that his position was certain and safe, he set about relieving himself of that small but tiresome in- - cubus, Master Biron. ‘To have suggested to Gregory the advisability of sending the boy away to school would have caused him to. keep Hugh at home; for it de- lighted the old gentleman to displease his best friend equally with his worst. Mr. Fox pro- ceeded differently, knowing how ardently Hugh desired to leave home, he affected to believe otherwise, and would say to the lad, ‘‘ My dear young master, if you run over your good grand- father’s flower-borders again, I must tell him; and then possibly he will send you away to,a boarding-school, where you will have no kind grandfather to take care of you, and where the ushers will be less attentive to your educational, requirements than Ian Of course, Hugh trampled over every flower-bed in the garden after that; and’ under similar instigation he tied pots to the tails of domestic creatures, fired crackers in the drawing-room, half killed the cook by strewing peas on the stairs—she had over-peppered the soup, although she knew Mr. Fox did not like pepper—and finally gave a prize Scotch colley to the son of Sir Humphrey Clinker. “The boy ought to have been sent to school a year ago.. Look out a school, Fox,” said Gregory. Mr. ‘Fox looked out a school, and himself took the boy to it, giving the master such in- structions as would lead’ to the eradication of many vices which had been growing upon Hugh, all which had greatly discomforted his late tutor. Then Mr. Fox returned to River- ford’with a sigh of relief and a smile of pleas- ure, and entered into his duties as secretary It shall be ‘They shall be the yellowest I'll make and steward to Gregory Biron. (fo be continued) comichooks.com