O Whistle and Ill Come to YouMy Lad.docx

O Whistle and Ill Come to YouMy Lad.docx

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OWhistleandIllCometoYouMyLad

OWhistleandI’llCometoYou,MyLad

"ISUPPOSEyouwillbegettingawayprettysoon,now.Fulltermisover,Professor,"saidapersonnotinthestorytotheProfessorofOntography,soonaftertheyhadsatdownnexttoeachotheratafeastinthehospitablehallofSt.James'sCollege.

TheProfessorwasyoung,neat,andpreciseinspeech.

"Yes,"hesaid;"myfriendshavebeenmakingmetakeupgolfthisterm,andImeantogototheEastCoast–inpointoffacttoBurnstow–（Idaresayyouknowit）foraweekortendays,toimprovemygame.Ihopetogetofftomorrow."

"Oh,Parkins,"saidhisneighbourontheotherside,"ifyouaregoingtoBurnstow,IwishyouwouldlookatthesiteoftheTemplars'preceptory,andletmeknowifyouthinkitwouldbeanygoodtohaveadigthereinthesummer."

Itwas,asyoumightsuppose,apersonofantiquarianpursuitswhosaidthis,but,sincehemerelyappearsinthisprologue,thereisnoneedtogivehisentitlements.

"Certainly,"saidParkins,theProfessor:

"ifyouwilldescribetomewhereaboutsthesiteis,IwilldomybesttogiveyouanideaofthelieofthelandwhenIgetback;orIcouldwritetoyouaboutit,ifyouwouldtellmewhereyouarelikelytobe."

"Don'ttroubletodothat,thanks.It'sonlythatI'mthinkingoftakingmyfamilyinthatdirectionintheLong,anditoccurredtomethat,asveryfewoftheEnglishpreceptorieshaveeverbeenproperlyplanned,Imighthaveanopportunityofdoingsomethingusefulonoff-days."

TheProfessorrathersniffedattheideathatplanningoutapreceptorycouldbedescribedasuseful.Hisneighbourcontinued:

"Thesite–Idoubtifthereisanythingshowingaboveground–mustbedownquiteclosetothebeachnow.Theseahasencroachedtremendously,asyouknow,allalongthatbitofcoast.Ishouldthink,fromthemap,thatitmustbeaboutthree-quartersofamilefromtheGlobeInn,atthenorthendofthetown.Whereareyougoingtostay?

"

"Well,attheGlobeInn,asamatteroffact,"saidParkins;"Ihaveengagedaroomthere.Icouldn'tgetinanywhereelse;mostofthelodging-housesareshutupinwinter,itseems;and,asitis,theytellmethattheonlyroomofanysizeIcanhaveisreallyadouble-beddedone,andthattheyhaven'tacornerinwhichtostoretheotherbed,andsoon.ButImusthaveafairlylargeroom,forIamtakingsomebooksdown,andmeantodoabitofwork;andthoughIdon'tquitefancyhavinganemptybed–nottospeakoftwo–inwhatImaycallforthetimebeingmystudy,IsupposeIcanmanagetoroughitfortheshorttimeIshallbethere."

"Doyoucallhavinganextrabedinyourroomroughingit,Parkins?

"saidabluffpersonopposite."Lookhere,Ishallcomedownandoccupyitforabit;it'llbecompanyforyou."

TheProfessorquivered,butmanagedtolaughinacourteousmanner.

"Byallmeans,Rogers;there'snothingIshouldlikebetter.ButI'mafraidyouwouldfinditratherdull;youdon'tplaygolf,doyou?

"

"No,thankHeaven!

"saidrudeMr.Rogers."Well,yousee,whenI'mnotwritingIshallmostlikelybeoutonthelinks,andthat,asIsay,wouldberatherdullforyou,I'mafraid."

"Oh,Idon'tknow!

There'scertaintobesomebodyIknowintheplace;but,ofcourse,ifyoudon'twantme,speaktheword,Parkins;Ishan'tbeoffended.Truth,asyoualwaystellus,isneveroffensive."

Parkinswas,indeed,scrupulouslypoliteandstrictlytruthful.ItistobefearedthatMr.Rogerssometimespractiseduponhisknowledgeofthesecharacteristics.InParkins'sbreasttherewasaconflictnowraging,whichforamomentortwodidnotallowhimtoanswer.Thatintervalbeingover,hesaid:

"Well,ifyouwanttheexacttruth,Rogers,IwasconsideringwhethertheroomIspeakofwouldreallybelargeenoughtoaccommodateusbothcomfortably;andalsowhether（mind,Ishouldn'thavesaidthisifyouhadn'tpressedme）youwouldnotconstitutesomethinginthenatureofahindrancetomywork."

Rogerslaughedloudly.

"Welldone,Parkins!

"hesaid."It'sallright.Ipromisenottointerruptyourwork;don'tyoudisturbyourselfaboutthat.No,Iwon'tcomeifyoudon'twantme;butIthoughtIshoulddosonicelytokeeptheghostsoff."Herehemighthavebeenseentowinkandtonudgehisnextneighbour.Parkinsmightalsohavebeenseentobecomepink."Ibegpardon,Parkins,"Rogerscontinued;"Ioughtn'ttohavesaidthat.Iforgotyoudidn'tlikelevityonthesetopics."

"Well,"Parkinssaid,"asyouhavementionedthematter,IfreelyownthatIdonotlikecarelesstalkaboutwhatyoucallghosts.Amaninmyposition,"hewenton,raisinghisvoicealittle,"cannot,Ifind,betoocarefulaboutappearingtosanctionthecurrentbeliefsonsuchsubjects.Asyouknow,Rogers,orasyououghttoknow;forIthinkIhaveneverconcealedmyviews–"

"No,youcertainlyhavenot,oldman,"putinRogerssottovoce.

"–Iholdthatanysemblance,anyappearanceofconcessiontotheviewthatsuchthingsmightexistisequivalenttoarenunciationofallthatIholdmostsacred.ButI'mafraidIhavenotsucceededinsecuringyourattention."

"Yourundividedattention,waswhatDr.Blimberactuallysaid,

（1）"IRogersinterrupted,witheveryappearanceofanearnestdesireforaccuracy."ButIbegyourpardon,Parkins:

I'mstoppingyou."

"No,notatall,"saidParkins."Idon'trememberBlimber;perhapshewasbeforemytime.ButIneedn'tgoon.I'msureyouknowwhatImean."

"Yes,yes,"saidRogers,ratherhastily–"justso.We'llgointoitfullyatBurnstow,orsomewhere."

InrepeatingtheabovedialogueIhavetriedtogivetheimpressionwhichitmadeonme,thatParkinswassomethingofanoldwoman–ratherhenlike,perhaps,inhislittleways;totallydestitute,alas!

ofthesenseofhumour,butatthesametimedauntlessandsincereinhisconvictions,andamandeservingofthegreatestrespect.Whetherornotthereaderhasgatheredsomuch,thatwasthecharacterwhichParkinshad.

OnthefollowingdayParkinsdid,ashehadhoped,succeedingettingawayfromhiscollege,andinarrivingatBurnstow.HewasmadewelcomeattheGlobeInn,wassafelyinstalledinthelargedouble-beddedroomofwhichwehaveheard,andwasablebeforeretiringtoresttoarrangehismaterialsforworkinapple-pieorderuponacommodioustablewhichoccupiedtheouterendoftheroom,andwassurroundedonthreesidesbywindowslookingoutseaward;thatistosay,thecentralwindowlookedstraightouttosea,andthoseontheleftandrightcommandedprospectsalongtheshoretothenorthandsouthrespectively.OnthesouthyousawthevillageofBurnstow.Onthenorthnohousesweretobeseen,butonlythebeachandthelowcliffbackingit.Immediatelyinfrontwasastrip–notconsiderable–ofroughgrass,dottedwitholdanchors,capstans,andsoforth;thenabroadpath;thenthebeach.whatevermayhavebeentheoriginaldistancebetweentheGlobeInnandthesea,notmorethansixtyyardsnowseparatedthem.

Therestofthepopulationoftheinnwas,ofcourse,agolfingone,andincludedfewelementsaspecialdescription.Themostconspicuousfigurewas,perhaps,thatofanancienmilitairesecretaryofaLondonclub,andpossessedofavoiceofincrediblestrength,andofviewsofapronouncedlyProtestanttype.ThesewereapttofindutteranceafterhisattendanceupontheministrationsoftheVicar,anestimablemanwithinclinationstowardsapicacresqueritual,whichhegallantlykeptdownasfarashecouldoutofdeferencetoEastAngliantradition.

ProfessorParkins,oneofwhoseprincipalcharacteristicswaspluck,spentthegreaterpartofthedayfollowinghisarrivalatBurnstowinwhathehadcalledimprovinghisgame,incompanywiththisColonelWilson:

andduringtheafternoon–whethertheprocessofimprovementweretoblameornot,Iamnotsure–theColonel'sdemeanourassumedacolouringsoluridthatevenParkinsjibbedatthethoughtofwalkinghomewithhimfromthelinks.Hedetermined,afterashortandfurtivelookatthatbristlingmoustacheandthoseincarnadined,features,thatitwouldbewisertoallowtheinfluencesofteaandtobaccotodowhattheycouldwiththeColonelbeforethedinner-hourshouldrenderameetinginevitable.

"Imightwalkhometo-nightalongthebeach,"hereflected–"yes,andtakealook–therewillbelightenoughforthat–attheruinsofwhichDisneywastalking.Idon'texactlyknowwheretheyare,bytheway;butIexpectIcanhardlyhelpstumblingonthem."

Thisheaccomplished,Imaysay,inthemostliteralsense,forinpickinghiswayfromthelinkstotheshinglebeachhisfootcaught,partlyinagorse-rootandpartlyinabiggishstone,andoverhewent.Whenhegotupandsurveyedhissurroundings,hefoundhimselfinapatchofsomewhatbrokengroundcoveredwithsmalldepressionsandmounds.Theselatter,whenhecametoexaminethem,provedtobesimplymassesofflintsembeddedinmortarandgrownoverwithturf.Hemust,hequiterightlyconcluded,beonthesiteofthepreceptoryhehadpromisedtolookat.Itseemednotunlikelytorewardthespadeoftheexplorer;enoughofthefoundationswasprobablyleftatnogreatdepthtothrowagooddealoflightonthegeneralplan.HerememberedvaguelythattheTemplars,towhomthissitehadbelonged,wereinthehabitofbuildingroundchurches,andhethoughtaparticularseriesofthehumpsormoundsnearhimdidappeartobearrangedinsomethingofacircularform.Fewpeoplecanresistthetemptationtotryalittleamateurresearchinadepartmentquiteoutsidetheirown,ifonlyforthesatisfactionofshowinghowsuccessfultheywouldhavebeenhadtheyonlytakenitupseriously.OurProfessor,however,ifhefeltsome