Page 423 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

agony and shame terrified me.’
‘Well, he’ll be put into the hospital for a week or so to-
morrow,’ said Macklewain, ‘and that’ll give him a spell.’
‘If Burgess flogs him I’ll report it to the Governor,’ cries
North, in great heat. ‘The condition of those dormitories is
infamous.’
‘If the boy has anything to complain of, why don’t he
complain? We can’t do anything without evidence.’
‘Complain! Would his life be safe if he did? Besides, he’s
not the sort of creature to complain. He’d rather kill him-
self.’
‘That’s all nonsense,’ says Macklewain. ‘We can’t flog
a whole dormitory on suspicion. I can’t help it. The boy’s
made his bed, and he must lie on it.’
‘I’ll go back and see Burgess,’ said North. ‘Mr. Meekin,
here’s the gate, and your room is on the right hand. I’ll be
back shortly.’
‘Pray, don’t hurry,’ said Meekin politely. ‘You are on an
errand of mercy, you know. Everything must give way to
that. I shall find my portmanteau in my room, you said.’
‘Yes, yes. Call the servant if you want anything. He sleeps
at the back,’ and North hurried off.
‘An impulsive gentleman,’ said Meekin to Macklewain,
as the sound of Mr. North’s footsteps died away in the dis-
tance. Macklewain shook his head seriously.
‘There is something wrong about him, but I can’t make
out what it is. He has the strangest fits at times. Unless it’s a
cancer in the stomach, I don’t know what it can be.’
‘Cancer in the stomach! dear me, how dreadful!’ says

For the Term of His Natural Life