Any ordinary thing I would not peach about on any
account, but a disgraceful theft like this, which throws a doubt
over us all, is another thing; the honor of the whole school is at
stake. I have been thinking it over. I don't want Mather to suspect
anything, so I will go out at the back gate with you, as if I was
going to walk part of the way home with you, and then we will go
round to the front door and speak to Porson."
The master was sitting on a low seat in the window of his study.
Hearing footsteps coming up from the front gate he looked round.
"Do you want to speak to me, boys?" he asked in some surprise
through the open window. "What makes you come round the front way?"
"We want to see you privately, sir," Ripon said.
"Very well, boys, I will open the door for you.
"Now, what is it?" he asked as the boys followed him into the study.
"Well, sir, it may be nothing, I am sure I hope so," Ripon said,
"but Sankey and I thought you ought to know and then it will be off
our minds, and you can do as you like about it. Now, Sankey, tell
what you knew first, then I will tell what Mother Brown said to me
on Wednesday."
Ned told the story in the same words in which he had related it
to Ripon; and Ripon then detailed his conversation with the cake
woman, and her threats of reporting Mather on Saturday were the debt
not paid. Ned had already given his reason for keeping silence in
the matter hitherto, and Ripon now explained that they had determined
to wait till Saturday to see what came of it, but that after that
new theft they deemed it their duty to speak at once.
Pages:
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111