Untitled - Electric Scotland

146 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH v.
it) of Tait, Tait ! and the thought that he would hear us,
and that the knowledge of what was happening would be
bad for him, acted as an instant sedative. At the same
time one of the masters, brother of the present Dean of
Westminster, then acting as his substitute, appeared on the
scene, and (/-tt/cpo? 8e/z,a<? d\\a fMtXtyn/f) fearlessly charged
the rebels. They, having already lost their first impulse,
and awed partly by the show of present authority, partly
by the thought of him who was absent, began slowly to
disperse ; and when Bradley began to chase a small boy
who would not disperse round one of the cloister-columns,
the whole affair ended in merry laughter, and the emeute
was over. But for the moment a rebellion was imminent ;
and but for the sudden thought of the Head-master, lying
sick and suffering close by, an outbreak probably would
have followed.
"
After this I remember nothing but the acclamation
which greeted his return. It was on a warm summer day
when we were playing cricket in the Close that his well-
known, stately form was seen, supported by Mrs. Tait,
walking under the elms. Instantly every bat and ball was
laid aside, and such a cheer arose, again and again repeated,
as may well be imagined. It was the beginning of a
wholly new relation between boys and master. It was the
first expression of a popularity which went on increasing
till he left us, and which, I believe, has been rarely equalled
at any public school. It was not that he had changed
outwardly to any great extent. He was always rather the
statesman than the schoolmaster, the ruler than the friend.
But everything between us took a warmer tone. We had
been drawn to him in his illness ;
We felt (many
we understood him better.
a word that fell from him in his later
sermons quickened the feeling) what a depth
of almost
passionate emotion lived under that calm and dignified