The Willoughby Captains Part 74

Among those who met him this afternoon was Wibberly. Wibberly, like Gilks, felt very little interest in the juniors' match. He was one of the small party who yesterday had come in for such a smart snubbing from Bloomfield, and the only way to show his sense of the ingrat.i.tude of such treatment, especially towards an old toady like himself, was to profess no interest in an event which was notoriously interesting the Parretts' captain.

So Wibberly strolled down that afternoon to the river, and naturally met Gilks.

The two were not by any means chums--indeed, they were scarcely to be called friends. But they had one considerable bond of sympathy in a common dislike for the schoolhouse, and still more for Riddell. Gilks, as the reader knows, was anything but a loyal schoolhouse man, and ever since he became a monitor had cast in his lot with the rival house. So that he was generally considered, and considered himself to be, quite as much of a Parrett as a "schoolhouser."

"So you are not down looking at the little boys?" said Wibberly.

"No," said Gilks.

"Awful rot," said Wibberly, "making all that fuss about them!"

"Pleases them and doesn't hurt us," replied Gilks.

"In my opinion it's all a bit of vanity on the part of Riddell. He'd like to make every one think he has been coaching his kids, and this is just a show-off."

"Well, let him show off; who cares?" growled Gilks.

"All very well. He ought to be hooted round the school instead of flas.h.i.+ng it there in the Big, the hypocritical cad!"

"Well, why don't you go and do it?" said Gilks; "you'd get plenty to join you."

"Would I? No, I wouldn't. Even Bloomfield's taking his part--he's gammoned him somehow."

"Well, that doesn't prevent your going and hooting him, does it?" said Gilks, with a sneer. "You've a right to enjoy yourself as well as any one else."

"What! have you come round to wors.h.i.+p his holiness too?" asked Wibberly, who had at least expected some sympathy from Gilks.

"Not exactly!" said Gilks, bitterly; "but I've come round to letting the cad alone. What's the good of bothering?"

"And you mean to say you'd let him go on knowing who the fellow is who cut the rudder-lines of our boat, and not make him say who it is?"

"I expect that's all stuff about his knowing at all," said Gilks.

"Not it! Between you and me, I fancy he's had a tip from somewhere."

"He has? Bah! don't you believe it. He'd like to make believe he knows all about it. It would pay, you know."

"But every one thinks he knows."

"Not he! He would have told the fellow's name long ago. Whatever object would he have in keeping it back?"

"Oh! I don't know. He says some gammon about not being quite sure.

But he's had time enough to be sure by now."

Gilks walked on in silence for a little, and then inquired, "And suppose you did get to know who it was, what would be the use?"

"The use!" exclaimed Wibberly, in amazement. "Why, what do you mean?

By Jove, I'm sorry for the fellow when he turns up. He'll soon find out the use of it."

Gilks said nothing, but walked on evidently out of humour, and Wibberly having nothing better to do accompanied him.

"By the way," said the latter, presently, seeing his companion was not disposed to continue the former conversation, "what's up between you and Silk? Is it true you've had a row?"

Gilks growled out something which sounded very like an oath, and replied, "Yes."

"What about?" inquired the inquisitive Wibberly, who seemed to have the knack of hitting upon unwelcome topics.

"It wouldn't do you any good to know," growled Gilks.

"I heard it was some betting row, or something of that sort," said Wibberly.

"Eh?--yes--something of that sort," said Gilks.

"Well," said Wibberly, "I never cared much for Silk. He always seemed to know a little too much for me. I wouldn't break my heart if I were you."

"I don't mean to," said Gilks, but in a tone which belied the words, and even struck Wibberly by its wretchedness.

"I say," said he, "you're awfully down in the mouth these times. What's wrong?"

"What makes you think anything's wrong? I'm all right, I tell you,"

said Gilks, half angrily.

Wibberly was half inclined to say that he would not have thought it if he had not been told so, but judging from his companion's looks that this little pleasantry would not be appreciated, he forbore and walked on in silence.

It was a relief when Wibberly at length discovered that it was time for him to be going back. Gilks wanted n.o.body's company, and was glad to be left alone.

And yet he would gladly have escaped even from his own company, which to judge by his miserable looks as he walked on alone was less pleasant than any.

He was sorry now he had not gone to watch the juniors, where at least he would have heard something less hateful than his own thoughts, and seen something less hateful than the dreary creations of his own troubled imagination.

"What's the use of keeping it up?" said he, bitterly, to himself. "I don't care! Things can't be worse than they are. Down in the mouth!

He'd be down in the mouth if he were!--the fool! I've a good mind to-- And yet I daren't face it. What's the use of trusting to a fellow like Silk! Bah! how I hate him. He'll betray me as soon as ever it suits him, and--and--oh, I don't care. Let him!"

Gilks had reached this dismal climax in his reflections, when he suddenly became aware that the object of his meditations was approaching him.

Silk had his own reasons for not joining the throng that was looking on at the juniors' match. It may have been mere lack of interest, or it may have been a special desire to take this walk. Whichever it was, his presence now was about as unwelcome an apparition as Gilks could have encountered, and the smile on the intruder's face showed pretty clearly that he was aware of the fact.

"What are you prowling about here for?" said he as he came up, with all the insolence of a warder addressing a convict.

"I've a right to walk here if I choose," replied Gilks, sulkily; "what are you here for?"

"To find you. I want to speak to you," replied Silk.

"I don't want to speak to you," replied Gilks, moving on.

"Don't you?" replied Silk, with a sneer. "You'll have to do it whether you want or not, my boy."

There was something about the Welcher which had the effect of cowing his companion, and Gilks, fuming inwardly, and with a face as black as thunder, said, "Well--say what you've got to say, and be done with it."