free man, andthank God I have had the chance."
"James Bell," cried Sir Matthew Bray, "I arrest you. Give up thatwhip."
"Touch me if you dare," roared Fred. "Stand back, or I'll kill you."
"Private Bell--"
"Damn Private Bell!" cried the young man fiercely. "My name isFrederick Denville, and I am a gentleman."
Lord Carboro's hand dropped to his side, and as the young man faced himfor a moment, it was anything but anger that flashed from the oldnobleman's eyes as he muttered to himself:
"Damme, so he is; and he has Claire's very look."
Fred Denville strode right away along the Parade, followed at a distanceby Linnell and Mellersh, till, to their surprise, they saw him entertheir door, no attempt being made to arrest him then.
Volume Three, Chapter XVII.
"SURRENDER!"
"No, Mr Denville, I am a soldier, and yours is a terrible crime againstdiscipline, but I can't say a word in condemnation of your act."
"Thank you, Colonel. Will you give me a few words here with MrLinnell?"
"Yes; but I should advise you to be quick," said Mellersh. "Hang it,man, they'll shoot you for this. What's to be done, Dick? Look here,Denville, can't you knock one of us down, take a suit of plain clothesand make off. There's twenty pounds on the chimney-piece yonder."
"Thank you, sir, thank you," said Fred, smiling sadly; "but I'm notgoing to run. I shall give myself up."
"No, no," cried Linnell excitedly. "For heaven's sake don't do that,man. There's trouble enough in your home. You'll break her heart."
Fred Denville swung round in an instant, and caught Linnell's hands in astrong grip.
"Then you do love her," he cried, his voice quivering. "My littletrue-hearted, suffering darling. Oh, man, man, man, don't let wretchedshadows stand between you now. I know everything, and how you have beenready to believe all kinds of unhappy scandals about the best girl whoever lived. Look here--no, don't go, Colonel; you've heard thebeginning, you may as well hear the rest. It came out like a flash.Stop now, and hear me, both of you. Ours is an unhappy family; I'vebeen a wild, foolish scamp: my father lies in prison under a falsecharge; he is innocent. I know that such a family is not one that agentleman would seek to enter, save under exceptional circumstances; butI've watched you, Richard Linnell, and I know you loved my sister, and Iknow that she never had a thought save for you."
Linnell clenched his hands, compressed his lips, and began to pace theroom.
"You, Colonel Mellersh, are a bit of a cynic; you don't believe inwomen, but you are mistaken here."
"What do you wish me to do?" said Linnell hoarsely.
"To do? She is almost friendless, broken-hearted, and has not a strongtrue hand to take hers, a loyal heart who will stand by her against theworld. Richard Linnell, my poor sister is suffering and in pain, and agreat trouble is coming upon her that will not balance the joyful newsshe will soon hear."
"Then, why not make a dash for it, man, while you have time?" criedMellersh.
"Because I shall give myself up to the civil authorities, sir; that isall. Mr Linnell, remember what I have said. Good-bye."
"Too late!" cried Mellersh, as a tramping was heard, and Sir MatthewBray, a sergeant, and half a dozen dragoons marched quickly up.
Fred Denville's whole manner had changed.
He dashed to the front. There was no escape there, and the soldierswere already in the hall.
Rushing to the back window he threw it up, but it moved stiffly, andbefore he had it well raised, the picket was in the room.
"Surrender!" cried the sergeant. "Halt, or I fire."
For answer Fred Denville rose on the sill and leaped down into thegarden, a good dozen feet, and ran swiftly for the wall at the bottom.
"Halt!" roared Sir Matthew; but the fugitive paid no heed, and inresponse to rapid orders four carbines were raised, there was a ringinglittle volley, and, to Linnell's horror, Fred Denville made a bound, andfell upon his face.
"Oh, this is too bad, sir!" roared Mellersh fiercely.
"Mind your own affairs, sir," said Sir Matthew sharply. "Saved him frombeing shot after a court-martial."
In a few minutes the wounded man was borne in and laid in the hall,where Cora Dean was one of the first to fetch restoratives, while hermother brought a pillow and placed beneath his head, for a couple of thedragoons had been sent to fetch the means to transport him to thebarracks.
It seemed at first that the one bullet which had struck him had beenaimed too truly; but after a few minutes the poor fellow opened hiseyes, looked wildly round, and then recognised Linnell.
"Ah!" he ejaculated, "you! Look here. I was on the way--to give myselfup--civil authorities--my father--in prison--innocent--Lady Teigne--murder--in a fit of drunkenness--I climbed up--to get the diamonds--savethe poor old man--I--I--did the deed."
Volume Three, Chapter XVIII.
MORTON DENVILLE BECOMES A MAN.
"You here, Morton?"
"Yes. Don't look at me like that, Claire, pray don't. You can't thinkwhat I've suffered."
"What you've suffered?" said Claire coldly, as she recalled how she hadtaken a mother's place to this boy for so many years till he hadobtained his advancement in life, when he had turned from her. He hadmade some amends on the night of Mrs Pontardent's party; but after thathe had heard some whispered scandal, and had kept aloof more and moretill the great trouble had fallen, and their father had been arrested,when he had stayed away and made no sign.
It had seemed so hard. When a few words on paper would have been soconsolatory and have helped Claire in her agony and distress, Morton hadnot even written; and now he came to her at last to tell her she did notknow what he had suffered.
"You don't know," he continued, with the tears in his eyes. "It was badenough to be in the regiment with Payne and Bray, always ready to chaffme and begin imitating the old man, and that beast Rockley sneering atme; but when people began to talk as they did about you, Clairy--"
"Silence!" cried Claire, flashing up as she rose from her seat, anddarted an indignant glance at the boy. "If you have come only to insultyour sister--go."
"Don't talk like that, Clairy dear," cried the boy. "Don't be so hardupon a fellow. I suffered horribly, for they did talk about youshamefully, and I was very nearly calling Sir Harry out, only theColonel wouldn't let me fight. I'm sure I behaved well enough. Everyone said I did."
"Why have you come this morning?" said Claire coldly.
"Why have I come? Hark at her!" said Morton piteously. "Oh, dear, Iwish I were a boy again, instead of an officer and a gentleman, andcould go down and catch dabs with Dick Miggles off the pier."
"Officer--gentleman? Morton, is it the act of a gentleman to side withthe wretched people who made sport of your sister's fame? To standaloof when she is almost alone and unfriended, and this dreadfulcalamity has befallen us? Oh, Morton, are you my brother to act likethis? Is it your manliness of which you made a point?"
"Claire--sis--dear sis," he cried, throwing himself on his knees, andclasping her waist as he burst into a boyish fit of passionate weeping."Don't be so cruel to me. I have fought so hard. I have struggledagainst the pride, and shame, and misery of it all. You don't know whata position mine has been, and I know now I ought to have taken your partand my father's part against all the world. But I've been a coward--amiserable, pitiful, weak coward, and it's a punishment to me. You, evenyou, hate me for it, and--and I wish I were dead."
Claire's face softened as she looked down upon the lad in his misery andabasement, and after a momentary struggle to free herself from him shestood with her hands stretched out over the head that was buried in thefolds of her dress, and a tender yearning look took the place of thehard angry glance that she had directed at him.
"I have fought, God knows how hard," he went on between his sobs, "butI'm only a boy after all, sis, and I hadn't the strength and manlinessto stand up against the fellows at the mess. I've shu
t myself upbecause I've been ashamed to be seen, and I've felt sometimes as if Icould run right away and go somewhere, so that I could be where I shouldnot be known."
Claire's hands trembled as they were very near his head now--as if theylonged to clasp the lad's neck and hold him to her breast.
"I've been coming to you a hundred times, but my cursed cowardice haskept me back, and everything has been against me. There has been yourtrouble."
Claire's hands shrank from him
The Master of the Ceremonies Page 81