‘He is ill!’ Gus cried out. ‘And it’s all your fault. You sent him to the oakum picking room. It’s killing him. Please!’ He turned his gaze to the two porters. ‘Take him to the infirmary. He needs a doctor.’

‘You won’t get no doctor out here at this time of night,’ one of them said dourly.

‘He will go where I decide to send him,’ Frobisher said, ‘which will be back to the oakum picking as soon as he can stand.’ He bent over Will and Gus saw his expression change. There was a flicker of something that almost looked like fear, but it was gone when he straightened up. ‘Take him to the infirmary. I’ll deal with him in the morning.’

One of the porters lifted Will in his arms and began to move off. ‘I’ll see you soon, Will,’ Gus called after him.

‘As for you …’ Frobisher caught him by the scruff of the neck. ‘You’ll answer for all this in the morning, and you’ll regret your disobedience, I promise you. Now get to bed!’

Gus lowered his head and plodded back towards the building. What punishment Frobisher had in store for him he could only guess at, but he had not forgotten the sting of the governor’s cane. Could there be worse than that? He found Murray blocking his way.

‘Got you this time, girly!’ he crowed triumphantly.

Gus looked at him. There were no words that he knew to express his feelings. ‘You … you traitor,’ he muttered eventually. Then he pushed past him and went inside.

In bed he lay rigid with fear. The events of the night had worn him out, but as soon as he closed his eyes he saw Will’s ashen face; and if he drifted into a doze he was jerked out of it by terrifying images of what might happen to him when morning came. All too soon it grew light and the boys began to rouse. Gus did not have long to wait. One of the masters opened the door and shouted, ‘Lavender?’

‘Here, sir.’

‘Governor’s office, now!’

The governor was not alone. Mr Frobisher was with him. He caught Gus by the collar and dragged him forward. ‘This is the boy, Governor.’

The governor peered at Gus. ‘You again? Did I not punish you for presuming to interfere only a day or two ago? Mr Frobisher tells me you were caught last night in the grounds with another boy. He thinks you were attempting to run away. Do you not understand what an act of disobedience and downright ingratitude that is? Explain yourself.’

‘Please, sir, we had to get away. Mr Frobisher sent Will to pick oakum. He’s got something wrong with his chest and it was making him ill. I told you that. Please, sir, how is Will? Is he all right?’