"Oh, I deserve it," said Paul, for the first time breaking silence.

"It's true--every word that Viner said. I did turn tail. It was the act of a coward. And Stanley Moncrief suffered through me, and through me all the school has eaten dirt. But if the school has suffered through me, through me it shall be lifted up again. If the Beetles have taken our flag, by G.o.d's help I will get it back again, and again it shall fly in its old place on the turret. If I fail----"

But Baldry cut him short, and shouted:

"Three cheers for Percival!"

The cheers were given very heartily, though Viner took little part in the cheering; but ere the last cheer had died away, a messenger came from the sick-room. Hibbert was still in a very critical condition, but he had recovered consciousness, and was asking for Paul.

CHAPTER XXVIII

HIBBERT ASKS STRANGE QUESTIONS

The message brought back the minds of the boys with painful abruptness to the struggle of a far different kind which was taking place in the sick-room. In the loss of the school flag they had forgotten, for the time being, the crisis through which Hibbert was pa.s.sing. It was no time for cheering; it was a time of sadness--Paul, at least, felt so as he obeyed the message, and made his way to the sick-room.

"Percival," came in a low, faint voice, as he entered.

The face of the sick boy turned to him. Pale at all times, it now seemed bloodless, as white as the pillow upon which it rested. It seemed, too, to have shrunk, while the eyes had grown larger, and shone with a light which Paul had never seen in them before.

"You were the first one he asked for when he came to his senses," said Mrs. Trounce, as Paul stepped softly to the bedside. "I think he's a bit better now; aren't you?"

"Much better, thank you," said the boy, with a painful attempt to smile at her. Then the bright eyes went again to Paul's face and rested there.

"I'm glad to hear that, Hibbert," said Paul, taking the thin hand in his. "You must make up your mind to get off that bed as soon as possible, mustn't he, Mrs. Trounce?"

"Just what I tell him," said the matron, cheerfully, for she knew the value of cheerfulness on the spirits of a patient. "If he makes up his mind to it, he'll soon be about again."

"It's astonishing what we can do when we set our teeth hard, and go for a thing," continued Paul, adopting her cheerful tone and manner.

"That's what you did when you came to me and saved my life. Oh, Percival, it was terrible!"

And the thin hand went to the eyes with a gesture of pain.

"Terrible! Hooking you out of that river? That's what I call beastly ingrat.i.tude. I think it's one of the best things I ever did in my life."

"No, no," cried the boy quickly; "don't think me ungrateful. I couldn't bear that. You don't think me ungrateful?"

"Of course not. It's only my stupid way of putting things. All you've got to do now is to forget about the river, and everything connected with it. You're now on dry land--in a nice, warm, comfortable bed, where you needn't trouble about anything except getting well again."

"Are the other fellows all right--Plunger and Moncrief, I mean?"

"Right? Rather! Going stronger than ever, especially Plunger."

"I'm glad of that. And--and the savages. Who were they?" asked Hibbert, with a shudder.

"Can't you guess?" smiled Paul. "n.o.body very dreadful. Three or four of the fellows of your Form--Bember, Baldry, Sedgefield, Viner."

"I might have guessed it; but then I'm not like other boys. I'm such a coward--coward. I've fought against it so hard, but I can't get over it.

I've tried to be brave--as brave as you are----"

"Hush! Don't talk of bravery. You're forgetting the sand-pit. Don't put me on stilts, for I could never walk in them. We're just what G.o.d makes of us. There are plenty of thorns and thistles about, heaps of 'em; but not many sensitive plants. That's what you are Hibbert--a beautiful, sensitive plant."

"Ah, you don't know what I am. If only I could tell you--if only I could tell you. You would hate me--hate me. Yes, Percival--hate me. You can call me a beautiful, sensitive plant, while all the time I'm a beastly hypocrite. Oh, why didn't you let me die--why didn't you let me go down in the river? Why did you save me?"

He spoke with a sudden outburst of energy, raising himself, in his feverish excitement on his elbow.

"Come, come! Master Percival will have to leave you, if you take on that way," said the matron.

"Yes, I think I'd better go now and come again to-morrow," said Paul, alarmed at this sudden outburst, which he took to be a slight touch of delirium.

"Don't leave me, Percival--don't leave me just yet!" pleaded the boy.

"I--I was forgetting myself. I'll be quieter if you'll stay with me a little longer."

The thin fingers slipped into Paul's hand again, and clung to it tightly.

"I'll stay with you a little longer, if you'll just do what I tell you."

"Yes, yes. What?"

"Just close your eyes and try to sleep."

Hibbert obeyed him implicitly. He closed his eyes, as though to sleep, but still held fast to Paul's hand. In a few moments the pressure relaxed, and he seemed to be really sleeping.

"I'll watch over him for a bit, if you like," whispered Paul to the matron.

Mrs. Trounce looked at her patient. He seemed tranquil enough now, and as she had other duties to attend to, she gladly availed herself of Paul's offer.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she whispered as she went out.

She hadn't been gone more than ten minutes before Hibbert's eyes opened again.

"Still here, Percival? It's very kind of you." Then, looking round: "Where's matron?"

"Gone out for a bit. I've promised to look after you. Do you want anything?"

"No--except you. Matron's really gone?"--looking round again.

"What a suspicious chap you're getting!" smiled Paul. "Do you think she's hiding somewhere?"

"I'm glad she's gone, Percival, because I wanted to speak to you--alone."

"But you promised to sleep."

"Well, I've kept my promise. I've had quite a long doze."