Altogether it was a sight which would have made
glad the heart of our brave old founder, Lawrence Sheriff, if he were
half as good a fellow as I take him to have been. It was a cheerful
sight to see. But what made it so valuable in the sight of the captain
of the School eleven was that he there saw his young hands shaking
off their shyness and awe of the Lord's men, as they crossed hands and
capered about on the grass together; for the strangers entered into
it all, and threw away their cigars, and danced and shouted like boys;
while old Mr. Aislabie stood by looking on in his white hat, leaning on
a bat, in benevolent enjoyment. "This hop will be worth thirty runs to
us to-morrow, and will be the making of Raggles and Johnson," thinks the
young leader, as he revolves many things in his mind, standing by the
side of Mr. Aislabie, whom he will not leave for a minute, for he
feels that the character of the School for courtesy is resting on his
shoulders.
But when a quarter to nine struck, and he saw old Thomas beginning
to fidget about with the keys in his hand, he thought of the Doctor's
parting monition, and stopped the cornopean at once, notwithstanding the
loud-voiced remonstrances from all sides; and the crowd scattered away
from the close, the eleven all going into the School-house, where supper
and beds were provided for them by the Doctor's orders.
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