Frank and Fearless; or, The Fortunes of Jasper Kent. Alger Horatio Jr.
Dr. Benton in front of the house, and was compelled to stop and speak to him.
"You find Nicholas well?" he said, politely.
"Oh, yes, doctor," she answered, softly. "I have no anxiety on that subject, as long as he is under your care. I know that he cannot fail to do well."
We all like flattery, and the learned principal was not proof against it.
"Ahem! Mrs. Thorne," he said, pompously, "we try to do our duty by the young people intrusted to our charge. We do not limit our endeavors to their mental culture, but strive to promote their physical well-being also."
"And you succeed remarkably well, Dr. Benton. But you must excuse my leaving you abruptly. I wish to catch the next train."
"I hope we shall see you again soon, madam," said the doctor, politely.
"I shall endeavor to call again before many weeks, Dr. Benton. Good-morning."
"Good-morning, madam."
Mrs. Thorne adjusted her veil and swiftly resumed her course. Her heart gave a bound when, just outside the gate, she espied the well-known figure of Jasper Kent.
"I hope he won't recognize me," she thought
But she forgot her peculiar gait, and the quick, rapid step, which were likely to identify her in the eyes of anyone who had seen her often. Jasper Kent's attention was drawn to her, and he observed these peculiarities.
"By Jove!" he said to himself, "she walks just like the governess."
Still, having no reason to suspect the presence of Miss Thorne, as he called her, at the school, he would have thought the resemblance only accidental, but for a whiff of wind which blew the veil aside from her face. That face there was no mistaking.
"Miss Thorne!" he exclaimed, in surprise, advancing to meet her.
She was exceedingly vexed, but it would not do to betray it.
"Jasper!" she said, with a smile. "You didn't expect to see me here?"
"No; did you come to see me? Is my father unwell?" he asked, anxiously.
"Your father is quite well."
"Then—"
"Why have I come? I see that is what you wish to ask. I have not come on your account at all. I came to see a nephew of my own."
"At this school?"
"Yes."
"You must mean Nicholas Thorne."
"Yes; do you know him?"
"A little," said Jasper, with reserve.
"Poor fellow! He has neither father nor mother to look after him, only myself. I am his only relative living."
"I never heard you speak of him before."
"No; I have not cared to intrude my private concerns upon your father or yourself. But I must hurry, or I shall be late at the station. Have you any message to send to your father?"
"Give him my love, and tell him to take care of his health for my sake."
"I hope he will do that for all our sakes," said the lady, with affected warmth. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye."
Jasper Kent looked after her as she walked rapidly away.
"Why is it that I distrust her so much?" he thought to himself. "So she is Thorne's aunt. Well, he is not a relation to be proud of."
"How vexatious that I should meet him," thought Mrs. Thorne. "I ought not to have run the risk of coming. If he tells Nicholas that I have admitted a relationship it may do harm. Once the wedding is over I shall feel more secure."
CHAPTER IV.
THORNE'S REVENGE
The unexpected communication which Thorne had received from his mother influenced his treatment of Jasper. Under ordinary circumstances he would have resented bitterly the humiliating defeat he had received at the hands of the "new boy." Now, however, he felt sure of ultimate revenge, and was willing to "bide his time."
"Just wait till his father is dead, and mother is his guardian!" he said to himself. "Then, my young gentleman, your pride'll be taken down, see if it ain't!"
His politic forbearance surprised the other boys, who did not understand the secret cause.
"Ain't you goin' to lick that new boy?" asked Tower, a sycophantic follower of Thorne.
"What for?" asked Nicholas.
"Because he licked you the other day."
"Who says he licked me?" demanded the young tyrant, with a frown.
"Why, all the boys say so," stammered Tower.
"Do you say so?" demanded Nicholas, savagely.
"N-no," said Tower, timidly.
"Lucky you don't," said Thorne, significantly. "I'll lick any boy that tells such a lie about me."
Tower was silent.
"The fact is," he continued, in a milder tone, "we were stopped in the middle of the fight. I was called to see a lady visitor. But for that I should have licked him in the end."
"I guess you can lick him," said the young sycophant.
"Of course I can," said Nicholas, loftily.
"Are you going to try it?"
"Why should I? I haven't anything against him. We came out even. What's the use of bearing malice?"
Tower was astonished to hear such sentiments from Thorne. It did not sound at all like him. He was about the last boy who would be singled out for forbearance or forgiveness of injuries. So the younger boy concluded that his leader was afraid of Jasper. But here he did him wrong. Thorne had learned to respect his adversary's strength and skill, but he would have hazarded a second encounter but for the prudential reasons already suggested. For the present he thought it best to keep quiet.
Jasper also had made a discovery, though, as we know, the information he had received was not correct. He supposed Thorne to be a nephew of his father's governess, whereas she was his mother.
"Does Thorne know this?" he asked himself.
He could not feel quite satisfied on this point, nor could he determine precisely how far his feelings were affected by this discovery. He felt a dislike toward Thorne on account of his tyrannical disposition and ill-treatment of younger boys. He cherished a dislike for the governess, the cause of which he could not as well define. Now, it appeared that these two were allied to each other. I beg to say that Jasper was too sensible and gentlemanly to dislike the governess simply because she was poor. That he knew very well had nothing to do with the substantial worth of a person. But he could not rid himself of the feeling that Miss Thorne's residence in his father's family portended misfortune to the parent whom he loved so well.
So a week passed without any new disturbance or outbreak between the two boys. Jasper had been on the lookout, fearing that Thorne would take some opportunity to wreak vengeance on young Cameron when he was not present. But his fears were gradually allayed. Thorne seemed usually peaceable—so much so that his school-mates, who knew him well, thought he had turned over a new leaf, and speculated as to what had produced the change. But neither boys nor men change suddenly and completely, though policy and self-interest may for a time lead them to suppress the manifestation of their characteristic traits.
Nine days after the fight recorded in my first chapter, as Jasper was walking in the school-yard, Davies came up hurriedly.
"Kent," he said, "you're wanted."
"Who wants me?" asked Jasper. "Is it Dr. Benton?"
"No, the doctor's absent."
"Who wants me, then?"
"Little Cameron."
"What! is Thorne at him again?" asked Jasper, stopping short and looking toward the house.
"Yes, Thorne's at his old business, bullying him. He took the opportunity when he thought you were out of hearing."
"I