Page 101 - of-human-bondage-

almost stertorous.
‘The headmaster says you’re clever. I don’t know how he
sees it. General information.’ He laughed savagely. ‘I don’t
know what they put you in his form for ‘Blockhead.’
He was pleased with the word, and he repeated it at the
top of his voice.
‘Blockhead! Blockhead! Club-footed blockhead!’
That relieved him a little. He saw Philip redden suddenly.
He told him to fetch the Black Book. Philip put down his
Caesar and went silently out. The Black Book was a som-
bre volume in which the names of boys were written with
their misdeeds, and when a name was down three times it
meant a caning. Philip went to the headmaster’s house and
knocked at his study-door. Mr. Perkins was seated at his
table.
‘May I have the Black Book, please, sir.’
‘There it is,’ answered Mr. Perkins, indicating its place
by a nod of his head. ‘What have you been doing that you
shouldn’t?’
‘I don’t know, sir.’
Mr. Perkins gave him a quick look, but without answer-
ing went on with his work. Philip took the book and went
out. When the hour was up, a few minutes later, he brought
it back.
‘Let me have a look at it,’ said the headmaster. ‘I see Mr.
Gordon has black-booked you for ‘gross impertinence.’
What was it?’
‘I don’t know, sir. Mr. Gordon said I was a club-footed
blockhead.’

100 Of Human Bondage