14 THE EARLY DAYS OF 



with our schoolfellows as best we could. But as everyone wished 

 to curry favour with those older and bigger than himself, I, being 

 very small and young, met with scant courtesy from all. 



Some large trees were standing near the covered playground then, 

 and under one of these Jefferies had his stall of cakes and tarts, 

 whilst under another tree, a woman whose name I can't remember, 

 had a stall of gooseberries, with which she did a roaring trade. 

 In fact, most of the money which the boys had brought from home 

 passed into the pockets of the stall-holders on that never-to-be- 

 forgotten day. The gooseberry- vendor had every reason for satisfac- 

 tion ; for when she retired, having disposed of all her wares, she was 

 followed by a grateful crowd which cheered her to the echo, and 

 as she turned the corner leading to the town, the ovation which she 

 received as ^Hhe cheap woman,''' must still have been ringing in her 

 ears. 



At sunset Sergeant Bompas rang the school-bell suspended by 

 his lodge ; the bell whose summons for many years I attended to so 

 well, that I never once was late. Again we were ushered into the 

 room where we had enjoyed our so-called tea. The strictest silence 

 was enforced, whilst I, overawed, felt like a mouse under a lion's 

 paw, and found the quiet which reigned around, a very painful 

 contrast to the unlimited amount of chatter in which I was wont to 

 indulge when I occupied my nursery at home. 



At half-past eight the school-bell rang again, and then I was 

 introduced to an attic of the Old Castle Inn, overlooking the 

 bowling-green, which I shared with twenty other boys. " Rules and 

 Regulations " were posted up, which, among other things enforced 

 silence, which was very irksome, for even rooks and starlings are 

 allowed to chatter when they go to roost. 



A captain was placed over us, and as he was a new broom he 

 naturally desired to show his zeal, and not finding anyone inclined 

 to break the rules, he fixed on me, probably because I seemed least 

 likely to defend myself, and sent up my name to the head master 

 next day for talking, although I had hardly dared to breathe, much 



