第64章 CHAPTER XII HOME(5)

"And quite right， too--accursed hole， full of fog and politicians. But that's not difficult with India waiting for you. I'm an Indian cavalry officer myself， and could put you up to the ropes and give you a hand afterwards， perhaps， if you show yourself of the right stuff， as I think you will. But， of course， you will have to go to Sandhurst， pass an entrance examination， and so forth. Can you manage that？"

"Yes， Sir， I think so， with a little preparation. I know a good deal of one sort or another， including French."

"All right， three months' cramming at Scoones' or Wren's， will do the trick. And now I suppose you want some money？"

Godfrey explained that he did， having only ā10 which he had borrowed from his old nurse.

Just then the oily-headed clerk announced that Mr. Ranson was at liberty. So they both went in to see him， and the rest may be imagined. The trustees undertook to pay his expenses， even if they had to stretch a point to do so， and gave him ā20 to go on with， also a letter of introduction to Scoones， whom he was instructed to see and arrange to join their classes. Then General Cubitte hustled off， telling him to come to dine at an address in Kensington two nights later and "report himself."

So within less than an hour Godfrey's future career was settled. He came out of the office feeling rather dazed but happier than when he went in， and inquired his way to Garrick Street， where he was informed that Mr. Scoones had his establishment. He found the place and， by good luck， found Mr. Scoones also， a kindly， keen， white-haired man， who read the letter， made a few inquiries and put him through a brief examination.

"Your information is varied and peculiar，" he said， "and not of the sort that generally appeals to Her Majesty's examiners. Still， I see that you have intelligence and， of course， the French is an asset； also the literature to some extent， and the Latin， though these would have counted more had you been going up for the Indian Civil. I think we can get you through in three months if you will work； it all depends on that. You will find a lot of young men here of whom quite seventy per cent. do nothing， except see life. Very nice fellows in their way， but if you want to get into Sandhurst， keep clear of them.

Now， my term opens next Monday. I will write to General Cubitte and tell him what I think of you， also that the fees are payable in advance. Good-bye， glad you happened to catch me， which you would not have done half an hour later， as I am going out of town. At ten o'clock next Monday， please."

After this， not knowing what to do， Godfrey returned to the Great Eastern Hotel and wrote a letter to his father， in which， baldly enough， he explained what had happened.

Having posted it in the box in the hall， he bethought him that he must find some place to live in， as the hotel was too expensive for a permanence， and was making inquiries of the porter as to how he should set about the matter when a telegram was handed to him. It ran： "All up as I expected. Meet me Liverpool Street 4.30.--Nurse."

So Godfrey postponed his search for lodgings， and at the appointed hour kept the assignation on the platform. The train arrived， and out of it， looking much more like her old self than she had on the previous day， emerged Mrs. Parsons with the most extraordinary collection of bundles， he counted nine of them， to say nothing of a jackdaw in a cage. She embraced him with enthusiasm， dropping the heaviest of the parcels， which seemed to contain bricks， upon his toe， and in a flood of language told him of the peculiar awfulness of the row between his father and herself which had ensued upon his departure.