Rather—he runs the ’White Boar’.”
“He’s the chap I owe the money to.”
“Old Barley!”
Mike knew the landlord of the “White Boar” well; he was the wag of the village team.; Every village team, for some mysterious reason, has its comic man.; In the Lower Borlock eleven Mr. Barley filled the post.; He was a large, stout man, with a red and cheerful face, who looked exactly like the jovial inn-keeper of melodrama.; He was the last man Mike would have expected to do the “money by Monday-week or I write to the headmaster” business.
But he reflected that he had only seen him in his leisure moments, when he might naturally be expected to unbend and be full of the milk of human kindness.; Probably in business hours he was quite different.; After all, pleasure is one thing and business another.
Besides, five pounds is a large sum of money, and if Jellicoe owed it, there was nothing strange in Mr. Barley’s doing everything he could to recover it.
He wondered a little what Jellicoe could have been doing to run up a bill as big as that, but it did not occur to him to ask, which was unfortunate, as it might have saved him a good deal of inconvenience.; It seemed to him that it was none of his business to inquire into Jellicoe’s private affairs.; He took the envelope containing the money without question.
“I shall bike there, I think,” he said, “if I can get into the shed.”
The school’s bicycles were stored in a shed by the pavilion.
“You can manage that,” said Jellicoe; “it’s locked up at night, but I had a key made to fit it last summer, because I used to go out in the early morning sometimes before it was opened.”
“Got it on you?”
“Smith’s got it.”
“I’ll get it from him.”
“I say!”
“Well?”
“Don’t tell Smith why you want it, will you?; I don’t want anybody to know—if a thing once starts getting about it’s all over the place in no time.”
“All right, I won’t tell him.”
“I say, thanks most awfully!; I don’t know what I should have done, I——”
“Oh, chuck it!” said Mike.
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