CHAPTER VIII.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 296, 5 September 1888, Page 4

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ITATiF.K H \ZKT>. Accorutnoly GooflVoy smiled and bowed, remarking in an off-hand vrav : 'I fear that my power as an orator will be somewhat disappointing 1 to you, gentlemen ; nevertheless 1 will favour you to the extent of my ability.' Assuming a somewhat exatjgcivited attitude of dignity, lie began reciting one ot Cicero's orations, rendeiing it in the oiiginal with perfect ease and fluency, while Ins audience listened as it spell-bound to the smoothly-rolling sentences. ' He's a brick !' whispered one young man to the companion nearest him : ' he'll make fun for u& and never flinch as long a- we offer him no insult.' ' You are right,' was the r^ply, ' and 1 hope Mapleson won't be unreasonable. He doesn't relish their wonderful resemblance though, and they arc deuccdly alike." 'Yes, alike as two peas in a pod. Ho you suppose it is all accident?" ' Looks like it, since one is a Kew Yorker and the other a Virginian." • Well, it is very queer anyhow: but hark ! he rolls out that Latin as it it was his mother tongue.' ' Indeed he does, and I'll bet he's smart as lightning. 1 The conveisation was heie interiupfced by a vigorous clapping of hands, .Minifying the hearty appreciation of the sophomores as Geoffrey concluded his brilliant eil'oit. 'Very well done, t-ir. ' young Mapleson remarked in a patronising cone, ' you are pretty well up in jour Latin, I perceive. Perhaps you can give us a little Greek, now.' Geoffrey immediately recited a short extract from ' Jischyl'is' Prometheus. Bound,' ending with three lines which seemed comically applicable to his own case : "Alas, Prometheus, what thou suffercst here I sorrow over. For Zerus is stern. And new-made kings are cruel.' ' Thanks, Mr Huntress ; very appropriate, particularly so if that last was intended as a fling at me,' said Mapleson, -with a sly smile. ' Now just give us something original — make a rostrum of 3*oll r table and, mind, tve want something spicj.' For an instant Geoffrey hesitated, anc J he was on the point of flatly refusing to comply with this demand. He had always been peculiarly &en-itive about putting himself in any ridiculous or conspicuous position, and he began to think that the insolent Southerner meant to make matteis as uncomfoi table as possible for him. But he controlled himself, reasoning that ' disci etion was the better part of valour,' so turning toward the others ot hi^ audience he said, with a twinkle in his eyes : c Mr Mapleson is evidently anxious to see how he would appeir upon the -^bage before an admiring audience. He -hall He gratiiieu." Thn sally was greeted by a roai of laughter, at which Mapleson L.olome'i angrily, for it was plain that the laugh -,\ as on htm. Geoftrey crefully removed his booic, then, stepping upon a chair, he mounted his table, and though this brought his head uncomfortably near the ceiling, he de live red a bright speech, full of wit and sparkle, and which contained tome sharp hits on the practice of ha/ing that kept his listeners in convulsions of mirth fiom beginning to end. ' Bravo ! bra^ o •' was the cry from all sides of the room, as he concluded and stepped down from his elevated position, and one young man arose aud '■.aid : 'Huntress, you'' c a man ofgiit Box*, I move we tender him a vote ot thanks for hi- ready compliance Avith our demands, and the fun he ha- made for us, and lelea-e him from the ordeal." ' Agreed ! agreed '.' was the verdict fiom all but their leader, who appealed greatly irritated by the fa\our with which hifriends .-eemed to regard his victim. He fehrucrcred his shoulder- and -hot a malicious glince at Geofhey, ana iemaike«l, with cool eflrontery : • We mu&t have a quotation fiom Shakspere first. The great and immortal \\ ill rau-fc not be .-lighter). Huntie 1 --, iu-t 10verse your position and -pout a little — cay from ' As Yon Like It.' ' 'That i* too b >d, Mjpleson '" ' !No no!' 'Shame, .-hame ! 'Me has shown himself a brick ah each '' ueie the explosions that came from difleient patt- of the room, while Map'e^on'- comrades be^an to shoot indignant glance» at him toi Ccitiying matters so far. 'I behe\e \ou voted mo leader 111 thiaffair, and ayreed to stand by me to the end.' retoited the young Southeinui, with considerable asperity : • so, ' fre-hy," do as you are told, and <ii\e us an act from 1 lie greatest author that cAei lived. You ."seem to bfi equal to almo-t anything in that line.' ' I do not think that 1 fully undei stand you, Mi Mapleson.' (.eo"ie;, haul, quiei I\ , yet with an e^nrei&ion in hi- e\e that warned him not to \entuie too far. But the young man was appaiently reckle.--. "I thought 1 e\ - {!ie-=serl myself intelligibly,' he letorted, anoganth : ' but if you want it in plainer langiusre, 3on can De accommodated. You aie in\ited to stand on your head and recito Hhaksp^re to us.' Geoffrey drew his fine f orm haughtily erect. 'Mr Maple.son,' he began, in a tone that to everyone else .sou, -Jed ominous, and betrayed that they had no h resolute 1 hornotf- r to deal with, ' I knew befoie I entered Yale that I was liable to be put through the process of b j-called hazing, and I lesolved, it I was, to recei c my iniiation a- eood naturediy as possible, and ace to all reasonable demand 1 -. [ think f Jia\epio\ed to you to-night that I wa-. willing to -submit gracefully to the fun at any expense : but when the fun detreneiates to indignity and insult, you will find that you ha\e made a mistake in your man.' There was a dead silence for a moment or two after Geoffrey concluded Then Everefc Maplebon looked up and remarked, with a sneer, ' I suppose, Mr Huntress, you observe that we number six to one?' Geoffrey's quick glance swept fiom face to face. Not one wore an unfriendly expression save that haughty patrician countenance &o like his own, ' Were you twehe to one. it would be all the same,' he calmly replied. • You refuse ?' 'I do.' • But, my dear sir,' said Mapleson, rising with a swaggering air and speaking in a most exasperating tone, 'allow me to remind you that when we ' sophs ' set out on a thing of this kind we never give in or concede a point to a ' fresh.' We have set our hearts upon seeing how you will look standing on that fine head of yours. I trust, for -your sake, it won't result in get-

ting your authors mixed ; and if you rosist our orders, we shall be obliged to resort to compulsory measures. ' ' You will compel me to stand on my head and recite IShakspere ?' ' Exactly ; or I will so far mitigate your sentences as to allow you to give us any selection you choose, if no passage from fcho great author occurs to you. Ha! Ha! boys he'll be a fine figure reversed,' and he chuckled gleefully, tor he imagined from Geoffrey's quiet mood that he had intimidated him into yielding to his demand. Geo drey's eyes u lowed and a spot of \ iviil scarlet settled on either cheek. ' 1 think you havo made a mistake,' he said, m a constrained tone, ' but,' taking a step forward, * if you arc sure that these gentlemen -will not bo satisfied until they see how 1 would look standing in a reversed attituoe ' ' (finite sure, and we'll soon prove it if you don't vet about it,' was the satirical in teriiiption. ' Then 1 will give yon a text from the ancient Phu'drus, and at the same time gratify your iriends— by proxy. 1 Geoihey made a sudden spring as he uttered these last words, seized the young Southerner about the waist whirled him to the fljor quick as a Hash, and grasping him by the legs held him aloft in this reversed position with a grip of iron, while he repe.ited in a voice of thunder, that Latin maxim : k »Sfl( pe intexun' alii* mcdilanle* tteevni: Often they -who plot the destruction of olheis become the victims of their own machinations.' Then he released his hold upon the young man, and politely assisted him to rise to his fe?t, and making a profound bow before him, gravely remarked : '1 think [ have satisfied all requirements. 1 have shown your irionds. if not you, how 1 should look standing on my head, while 1 have gi\en you a quotation which may pro\e useful to you in the futuie. ' 11 has all been done so quickh and so resolutely that theic had scarcely been tune t >r the otheis to interfere had they been so disposed : haidly time, even, tor Mapleson himself to resist, he had been so completely taken by surprise, while everyone wan ama/.ed at the wonderful strength and dexterity that Geoflrey displayed. But once more on his feet, Mapleson flew into a white heac of rage. All his hot Southern blood was up, and he dashed at Geolhey with blazing eyes, crimson face, and with fists clenched and uplifted as it to smite him to the floor But Geoffrey caught him by the wrists with a a;rip that rendered him instantly powerless, while he said with the utmost good nature : 'Mr Mapleson, you are no mafch for me : I measured you well before I touched you ; my muscles rind sinews are like iron from long gymnastic training, so I advise you not to waste your strength. lam sorry I have offended you, but this affair was none of my seeking, and you tried my impatience altogether too far. I have simply acted in self-defence.' But Mapleson had lost head entirely, and blusteied and swore in the most passionate manner, while his comiades were so struck with admiration tor Geotlrey and his masterly sell-control in the face of such excessive provocation, that not one of them was disposed to meddle in the quairel ' Let go i you cold-blooded Yankee !' Eveiet Manleson cried, hoarsely, through hi- tiirhtly-iocked teeth. ' I will release you, Mapleson. but you nmst not try the same thing again,' (leofiiey returned, with quiet rirmness, and instantly loosed his hold upon the young manS wrists. With another violent oath, quick as a i J .ash and befoie anyone suspected his intention, Mapleson w hipped out a pistol trom an inner pocket, cocked and pointed it at Geoihey. What might nave been the ie?ult no one can tell, if a joung man named Abbott had not clashed forward, and thrown up his aim Ihe next in-tint he had wienched the weapon from his grasp. ' Aie ;you mad, Maple-on V' heciicd ; ' we shill Sia\e the whole faculty down upon us if \ on tii'ie with -uch a p] ty thing, and then theie will be a tine row." The other sophomoies now gathered diound a'ul tried to pacify their enraged leader, bin he only giev\ the more furious and \owed that he would yet have the Yankee's heart c< blood lot Ins in-olence in l,!\in!; hands upon him. ■ Xo. no, Mapc, \ou dio\e him to it," intei nosed one : '\ou can't blame him, and \ on w oiild ha\ c done the .same had _) on been m his place.' ' Whoever heard of a ' fresh ' getting t lie uppei h'nid oi a half-do/cu 'sophs before? he rcioittd, angiily. 'You'ic a sot of cowauJs, e\eiy one of you ' "Take cue, Mapleson. that kind oi talk isn't <;oing lo do,' came w ai ningly fiom two oi three. ' But, lualh now, you "/< ;i fine set of ie'lows aitin't you, to stand stupid ly by and .see \ oi'i leadei nnpo-ed upon and knocked about in 'his way?' ho icplied, with wrathful scoi n 1 i)u show a liltle icason, Mape,' was the impatient ltjomdcr. lN on went altogether too tar : it was too much, after Huntress's unexampled gouci native all tluough the aficin, and you ought to ha\e known we wun'd not heai \ou out m ;ui insult like that. Indeed, we warned you beforehand that theie must be no indecent violence — I the day-, for that ha\e gone by.' ' indecent violence ! J should like to know what. you call his treatment of me ?' cued the nate student, hi-> voice fyirly sl),ik:n</ with passion ' yelt-deteni c, <is he has s,iid ; he had to adopt de-peiate measures to j trove that he . ovid not be imposed upon. Come, let us get out of this, and i warn you it is the last ha/Ang affair that 1 will evei have anything to do with,' said Abbott, who had not vet Lot over the excitement of the pistol busine-s. He fully belie \ed that Geoffrey Huntress would have been a dead man in another moment it he had not inteifei cd. Two of the students took Mapleson by the arms and led him trom the loom, and although he did not resist, he muttered angiily all the way, vowing chat he would yetbee^en with the man who had dared to lay violent hands upon him. Geoffrey politely held the door open for them to pas& out, and there was not one among them, save the enraged and humiliated JMapleaon, who did not both admire and respect him for the part he had acted that evening. Evcret Mapleson was not an especial favourite in his class, notwithstanding he had been appointed the leader of their fun on this occasion, for there wore times when lie made himself disagreeable by his proud and ovei bearing ways. But he was a rich man's &on, he had plenty of money at his command, which he spent freely, and the boys often enjoyed a good time at his expense, consequently it was both politic and convenient to be blind to some oi his faults. He had never been seen before in ?uch a passion as he had exhibited that night, although it was well known that he was hot-tempered, and every student who had shared in the hazing of Huntre&s secretly resolved that he would never be cauglil in company with him again on a like expedition. When Geoffrey was at length left alone,

he closed and locked his door, and then sat | down and fell into troubled thought. He could not feel that he had done wrong in resisting Everet Mapleson'a humiliating and insulting demands, for it had been evident to him from the first moment of their meeting that the haughty fellow had resented the fact of their remarkable resemblance, and there was no knowing how much furthor he might have carried his malicious requirements to gratify his personal spite. He did not doubt but that the lesson he had received would do him good in tho end ; it would at least teach him that he could not always ride rough-shod over other people, even though they might be luckless freshmen ; and yet if he had known his temperament hotter, he would, perhaps, have adopted sonic other plan of defence. He Avas sure that he had made a bitter and lasting enemy of the young man, and he regretted it, foi Geoflrey Huntress was one who loved to be at peace with all mankind, but he could only wait patiently to see how the matter would end, and having reached this conclusion, ho resumed his interrupted studies. But he could not put his mind upon them, for all at once the remarkable lesemblencc between himself and the young Southerner began to haunt him. Could it be possible that any of the &amo blood ilowcd in their veins ? If so, how ? Why was Evei ot Mapleson the favoured hon of a proud and wealthy father, while ho had been a poor, demented outcast, abandoned in the ot a large city and left to his fate ? Would this strange moeting result in giving him some slender thread by which to begin to unravel the mystery of his early life ? Perhaps : but— — The thoughts and doubts which followed this were not pleasant ones, and he finally put away his books and retired, trying thurf to forget him&cH in sleep.