Of Human Bondage - W. Somerset Maugham.mobi [21]
When they got out of the train at Tercanbury, Philip felt sick with apprehension, and during the drive in to the town sat pale and silent. The high brick wall in front of the school gave it the look of a prison. There was a little door in it, which opened on their ringing; and a clumsy, untidy man came out and fetched Philip’s tin trunk and his play-box. They were shown into the drawing-room; it was filled with massive, ugly furniture, and the chairs of the suite were placed round the walls with a forbidding rigidity. They waited for the headmaster.
“What’s Mr. Watson like?” asked Philip, after a while.
“You’ll see for yourself.”
There was another pause. Mr. Carey wondered why the headmaster did not come. Presently Philip made an effort and spoke again.
“Tell him I’ve got a club-foot,” he said.
Before Mr. Carey could speak the door burst open and Mr. Watson swept into the room. To Philip he seemed gigantic. He was a man of over six feet high, and broad, with enormous hands and a great red beard; he talked loudly in a jovial manner, but his aggressive cheerfulness struck terror in Philip’s heart. He shook hands with Mr. Carey, and then took Philip’s small hand in his.
“Well, young fellow, are you glad to come to school?” he shouted.
Philip reddened and found no word to answer.
“How old are you?”
“Nine,” said Philip.
“You must say sir,” said his uncle.
“I expect you’ve got a good lot to learn,” the headmaster bellowed cheerily.
To give the boy confidence he began to tickle him with rough fingers. Philip, feeling shy and uncomfortable, squirmed under his touch.
“I’ve put him in the small dormitory for the present.... You’ll like that, won’t you?” he added to Philip. “Only eight of you in there. You won’t feel so strange.”
Then the door opened, and Mrs. Watson came in. She was a dark woman with black hair, neatly parted in the middle. She had curiously thick lips and a small round nose. Her eyes were large and black. There was a singular coldness in her appearance. She seldom spoke and smiled more seldom still. Her husband introduced Mr. Carey to her, and then gave Philip a friendly push toward her.
“This is a new boy, Helen. His name’s Carey.”
Without a word she shook hands with Philip and then sat down, not speaking, while the headmaster asked Mr. Carey how much Philip knew and what books he had been working with. The Vicar of Blackstable was a little embarrassed by Mr. Watson’s boisterous heartiness, and in a moment or two got up.
“I think I’d better leave Philip with you now.”
“That’s all right,” said Mr. Watson. “He’ll be safe with me. He’ll get on like a house on fire. Won’t you, young fellow?”
Without waiting for an answer from Philip the big man burst into a great bellow of laughter. Mr. Carey kissed Philip on the forehead and went away.
“Come along, young fellow,” shouted Mr. Watson. “I’ll show you the schoolroom.”
He swept out of the drawing-room with giant strides, and Philip hurriedly limped behind him. He was taken into a long, bare room with two tables that ran along its whole length; on each side of them were wooden forms.
“Nobody much here yet,” said Mr. Watson. “I’ll just show you the playground, and then I’ll leave you to shift for yourself.”
Mr. Watson led the way. Philip found himself in a large playground with high brick walls on three sides of it. On the fourth side was an iron railing through which you saw a vast lawn and beyond this some of the buildings of King’s School. One small boy was wandering disconsolately, kicking up the gravel as he walked.
“Hullo, Venning,” shouted Mr. Watson. “When did you turn up?”
The small boy came forward and shook hands.
“Here’s a new boy. He’s older and bigger than you, so don