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Francesca had to listen to his eloquence on any subject she much
preferred that it should be a disparagement of Eliza Barnet rather
than the prevention of destitution。
〃I've no doubt she means well；〃 said Henry； 〃but it would be a good
thing if she could be induced to keep her own personality a little
more in the background； and not to imagine that she is the
necessary mouthpiece of all the progressive thought in the
countryside。 I fancy Canon Besomley must have had her in his mind
when he said that some people came into the world to shake empires
and others to move amendments。〃
Francesca laughed with genuine amusement。
〃I suppose she is really wonderfully well up in all the subjects
she talks about；〃 was her provocative comment。
Henry grew possibly conscious of the fact that he was being drawn
out on the subject of Eliza Barnet； and he presently turned on to a
more personal topic。
〃From the general air of tranquillity about the house I presume
Comus has gone back to Thaleby；〃 he observed。
〃Yes；〃 said Francesca； 〃he went back yesterday。 Of course； I'm
very fond of him； but I bear the separation well。 When he's here
it's rather like having a live volcano in the house； a volcano that
in its quietest moments asks incessant questions and uses strong
scent。〃
〃It is only a temporary respite；〃 said Henry； 〃in a year or two he
will be leaving school； and then what？〃
Francesca closed her eyes with the air of one who seeks to shut out
a distressing vision。 She was not fond of looking intimately at
the future in the presence of another person； especially when the
future was draped in doubtfully auspicious colours。
〃And then what？〃 persisted Henry。
〃Then I suppose he will be upon my hands。〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃Don't sit there looking judicial。 I'm quite ready to listen to
suggestions if you've any to make。〃
〃In the case of any ordinary boy；〃 said Henry； 〃I might make lots
of suggestions as to the finding of suitable employment。 From what
we know of Comus it would be rather a waste of time for either of
us to look for jobs which he wouldn't look at when we'd got them
for him。〃
〃He must do something；〃 said Francesca。
〃I know he must； but he never will。 At least； he'll never stick to
anything。 The most hopeful thing to do with him will be to marry
him to an heiress。 That would solve the financial side of his
problem。 If he had unlimited money at his disposal； he might go
into the wilds somewhere and shoot big game。 I never know what the
big game have done to deserve it； but they do help to deflect the
destructive energies of some of our social misfits。〃
Henry； who never killed anything larger or fiercer than a trout；
was scornfully superior on the subject of big game shooting。
Francesca brightened at the matrimonial suggestion。 〃I don't know
about an heiress；〃 she said reflectively。 〃There's Emmeline
Chetrof of course。 One could hardly call her an heiress； but she's
got a comfortable little income of her own and I suppose something
more will come to her from her grandmother。 Then； of course； you
know this house goes to her when she marries。〃
〃That would be very convenient；〃 said Henry； probably following a
line of thought that his sister had trodden many hundreds of times
before him。 〃Do she and Comus hit it off at all well together？〃
〃Oh； well enough in boy and girl fashion；〃 said Francesca。 〃I must
arrange for them to see more of each other in future。 By the way；
that little brother of hers that she dotes on； Lancelot； goes to
Thaleby this term。 I'll write and tell Comus to be specially kind
to him； that will be a sure way to Emmeline's heart。 Comus has
been made a prefect； you know。 Heaven knows why。〃
〃It can only be for prominence in games；〃 sniffed Henry； 〃I think
we may safely leave work and conduct out of the question。〃
Comus was not a favourite with his uncle。
Francesca had turned to her writing cabinet and was hastily
scribbling a letter to her son in which the delicate health； timid
disposition and other inevitable attributes of the new boy were
brought to his notice； and commanded to his care。 When she had
sealed and stamped the envelope Henry uttered a belated caution。
〃Perhaps on the whole it would be wiser to say nothing about the
boy to Comus。 He doesn't always respond to directions you know。〃
Francesca did know； and already was more than half of her brother's
opinion； but the woman who can sacrifice a clean unspoiled penny
stamp is probably yet unborn。
CHAPTER II
LANCELOT CHETROF stood at the end of a long bare passage；
restlessly consulting his watch and fervently wishing himself half
an hour older with a certain painful experience already registered
in the past； unfortunately it still belonged to the future； and
what was still more horrible； to the immediate future。 Like many
boys new to a school he had cultivated an unhealthy passion for
obeying rules and requirements； and his zeal in this direction had
proved his undoing。 In his hurry to be doing two or three
estimable things at once he had omitted to study the notice…board
in more than a perfunctory fashion and had thereby missed a
football practice specially ordained for newly…joined boys。 His
fellow juniors of a term's longer standing had graphically
enlightened him as to the inevitable consequences of his lapse； the
dread which attaches to the unknown was； at any rate； deleted from
his approaching doom； though at the moment he felt scarcely
grateful for the knowledge placed at his disposal with such lavish
solicitude。
〃You'll get six of the very best； over the back of a chair；〃 said
one。
〃They'll draw a chalk line across you； of course you know；〃 said
another。
〃A chalk line？〃
〃Rather。 So that every cut can be aimed exactly at the same spot。
It hurts much more that way。〃
Lancelot tried to nourish a wan hope that there might be an element
of exaggeration in this uncomfortably realistic description。
Meanwhile in the prefects' room at the other end of the passage；
Comus Bassington and a fellow prefect sat also waiting on time； but
in a mood of far more pleasurable expectancy。 Comus was one of the
most junior of the prefect caste； but by no means the least well…
known； and outside the masters' common…room he enjoyed a certain
fitful popularity； or at any rate admiration。 At football he was
too erratic to be a really brilliant player； but he tackled as if
the act of bringing his man headlong to the ground was in itself a
sensuous pleasure； and his weird swear…words whenever he got hurt
were eagerly treasured by those who were fortunate enough to hear
them。 At athletics in general he was a showy performer； and
although new to the functions of a prefect he had already
established a reputatio