by Tom Gallon
CHAPTER X.
I TOUCH THE SKIRTS OF HAPPINESS.
My feeling of horror at what I instinctively knew was soon to happen wasperhaps increased by the fact that this morning the girl seemed to be inthe brightest possible humour. She was laughing and chatting, turningfirst to one man and then to the other, as she stepped gaily alongbetween them. Nor were Harvey Scoffold and Bardolph Just lacking inapparent good humour; Harvey Scoffold, in particular, was laughingboisterously. Every now and then the two men would exchange glancesbehind the unconscious girl, as though assuring each other that theywere ready for some signal to pass from one to the other.
They came straight on down through the wood, with one figure now hiddenfor a moment by the trees, and then the three of them fully in sightagain. In the hollow where I lay I now and then heard a quick rustling,and saw a rabbit dart across and disappear; I realised that I might bein some danger if the party fired in my direction. But concerning that Iwas quite reckless.
Debora proved to be a capital shot, and Harvey Scoffold was second onlyto her. The doctor fired only once, and then he missed; I saw the girlturn and look at him, and laugh. And his face was not pleasant to see.
At last I saw what I had expected. Harvey Scoffold and the girl movedforward a little, and the doctor stopped. I saw Scoffold look back, witha sharp turn of the head for a moment; saw him glance sideways at thegirl. I raised myself a little, and, with my heart thumping against myribs, levelled the gun I held, and looked along the smooth, shiningbarrel of it until I had Bardolph Just squarely at the end of it.
A rabbit darted across, straight in front of Harvey Scoffold and thegirl; I saw it out of the tail of my eye as I watched the doctor. Bothguns spoke, and even as they did so I saw Bardolph Just with his gun tohis shoulder, and the barrel pointing straight at the girl's back, notfive yards in front of him. It was all so sudden--first the bark of thetwo guns in front--then my own weapon seemed to go off at the samemoment. In my excitement I let him have both barrels; I saw his own gunexplode harmlessly in the air, and then fall from his hands. He droppedto his knees with a cry, and held his left wrist with the fingers of hisright hand locked round it. His face was very white, and he rockedhimself backwards and forwards as he knelt there, and bit his lower lipuntil I saw a faint trickle of blood down his chin.
I knew that I had in all probability shattered his wrist; so much atleast I hoped. The others had run back, and the girl was kneeling besidehim, while Scoffold stood staring at him in very genuine amazement. Isaw the doctor turn his head swiftly and look sharply in my direction;then he said something in a low tone to Scoffold. I could not hear whatwas said, but I saw him stagger to his feet, with the help of the girl,and saw them go slowly towards the house. Harvey Scoffold stood still,looking after them for a moment; then he turned sharply and facedtowards where I was. I saw him open the breech of his gun and slip acartridge in; then he walked straight towards me.
My gun was of course empty, but when he first caught sight of me I waskneeling in a very business-like attitude, with the weapon levelled. Helooked straight down the barrels of it. He stopped, and I saw himfumbling with the trigger of his own.
"Have a care, Mr. Scoffold," I said quietly. "I have you covered."
"What are you doing there?" he stammered.
"I'll tell you presently," I answered him, still keeping my gun raised."Now, reverse that gun of yours; come a little nearer. That's it; nowlay it on the grass. Go back a pace or two; now stand still. Andremember that if you play any tricks I'm in a mood to blow your brainsout. I shall shoot _you_ through the head, Mr. Harvey Scoffold--notthrough the arm."
By this time he was standing some paces away, his arms hanging by hissides. I got up, and stepped forward to where his gun lay, and picked itup. I dropped my own behind me. "Perhaps you'd like to know," I said,after I had made sure that the gun I had taken from him was loaded,"that my own weapon was unloaded. The doctor had both barrels."
I heard him mutter something under his breath, and I guessed prettyaccurately what it was. He kept his eyes on me, evidently watching for away of escape; he shifted his feet uneasily, as he stood there coveredby his own gun.
"Now, Harvey Scoffold, I'll have a little explanation with you before Igo up to the house," I said. "You were in the plot to murder this younggirl. Be careful how you answer me, for my temper is such at this momentthat my fingers itch for this trigger."
"My dear fellow--I do assure you----" he began; but at the look in myeyes he hung his head, and blurted out the truth.
"What could I do?" he muttered. "I did my best to stop it--to persuadethe doctor to abandon the idea. I only came out this morning because Ithought--because I hoped I might be able to prevent it."
"You are lying, Harvey Scoffold," I told him. "I have been here bothlast night and since early this morning; I have seen everything, andheard a great deal. You were in the plot; you were to hold the attentionof the girl while murder was done. If I had not been here she would belying dead now."
"It's true," he said. "I'm bound to confess it's true. But I thank Godyou came in time!"
"Bah!" I ejaculated contemptuously. "I don't like your penitence, Mr.Scoffold. Now turn about and go up to the house. I'll follow you."
He hesitated for a moment, and then turned and walked towards the house.I picked up the other gun and followed him, and in that order we came tothe house, and marched up the steps and into the hall. He looked back atme over his shoulder then.
"Which way?" he asked sulkily.
"I want to see the doctor," I replied, setting the guns down in acorner. "Lead the way; I'll follow you."
He turned into a room on the right, crossed it, and came to a door atthe other side. Opening this, he passed through, and I followed him.Directly I got into the room I saw before me a curious little scene, andone that, even now, in the recollection of it, sends a thrill at once ofpity and of admiration through me, however unwillingly. The doctor wasseated by a table, on which was spread a white cloth; an open case ofsurgical instruments was by his side. Leaning across the table wasMartha Leach, doing something with a bowl of water and a small sponge.Very slowly and calmly Bardolph Just was cleaning the broken flesh andbone, quite as calmly, save for an occasional spasm of pain that crossedhis face, as though he had been operating on a patient. He turned hishead for a moment as we came into the room, and stopped what he wasdoing.
"Take that fellow away!" he shouted.
But I stood my ground. "Thanks," I replied, "I prefer to remain. Thereis a word or two to be said between us, doctor; but pray don't let meinterrupt what you are doing. Your injury is not quite as bad as I hadhoped; but then I am not much good behind a gun. I hoped to hit a vitalspot."
"Why did you shoot me?" he asked sullenly.
"Don't ask idle questions," I retorted. "Get on with your work."
He rewarded me for that remark with a scowl, and went on again with thework in hand. Now and then he gave a quick order, half under his breath,to the obedient Martha Leach, who waited upon him slavishly; under hisdirection she presently bound up the arm, after cutting splints for itaccording to a fashion he told her. Then, in obedience to a sign fromhim, she brought him a small glass of spirits, which he drank quickly; Isaw the colour begin to come back into his white face.
"That was an ordeal, Harvey," he said. "Upon my word, I didn't think Ihad the courage. I think it'll mend all right now; both bones wereshattered."
He took not the faintest notice of me, as he presently laid his hand ina sling which the woman Leach dexterously twisted round his neck. Henodded to her in token that she should go; and she went slowly out ofthe room, carrying the cloth and basin with her; she gave me a deadlylook as she passed me. But for her looks I no longer cared.
Perhaps the least composed of the three of us was Harvey Scoffold; hefidgeted about from one foot to the other, and strove to whistle a tune;and all the while glanced furtively at Bardolph Just or at myself.Bardolph Just, for his part, stood like a man slowly making
up his mindto something; I saw, besides, that he was raging within himself withpain, and mortification, and chagrin, and could with difficulty controlhis feelings. When at last he looked up he repeated that question he hadasked before.
"Why did you shoot me?"
"I preferred to shoot you rather than see murder done; I meant to killyou, if I could, because I counted your life more worthless than that ofMiss Debora Matchwick."
"I was not going to kill her," he said sullenly.
"No," I answered him, "there was to be an accident, and no one wouldhave been more sorry than her dear, devoted guardian at the deplorableresult of that accident! You need not lie to me, Dr. Just; youraccomplice has already given the game away."
He glanced quickly at Harvey Scoffold, and that gentleman merelyshrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands protestingly; but I sawthat the doctor believed that Scoffold had been made to speak. Thedoctor walked across to the window, and stood there looking out for sometime. He spoke at last, without turning his head.
"You constitute yourself judge and executioner both," he said. "If youhad killed me I think it must have proved a hanging matter for you, Mr.Jail-bird."
"But I should have saved the girl," I answered. "What is my life worth,that I should weigh it in the balance when there is a question of hersafety?"
"What are you going to do?" he asked, turning his head a little.
"I am going to see Miss Matchwick, and I am going to put the case fairlybefore her," I replied steadily. "I intend to tell her of the threeattempts you have made upon her life; I intend to let her understandthat your game, Dr. Just, is murder."
"Very fine, and very brave," he remarked; then he suddenly swung roundon me, and barked out a question. "If you are so certain of your facts,why not go to the police--why not stop this game of murder, as you callit?"
"You know I can't do that," I said. "In the first place I cannot evendeclare who I am, nor why I'm in your house; and in the second, as youknow, I have no proof."
He walked across to where Harvey Scoffold was standing, and nudged himwith his free arm in the ribs. "Hark to him, Harvey--hark to this finetalker! He has no proof--and he dare not show himself as other menmight. This thing without a name is going to do doughty deeds for thesake of a young girl; he claims already to have saved her three timesfrom death. What is anybody to make of it, if he chooses to tell hisstory?"
"I make this of it," I broke in hotly. "I am here to see Miss Matchwick;I will put the thing fairly before her. If I can do nothing else, I canat least show her where her danger lies, so that she may not walk intoit without her eyes open."
I never understood the man until long afterwards--at least, I neverunderstood him fully; perhaps if I had I should have been prepared forthe desperate chances he took, and for the sheer recklessness with whichhe carried matters through. He turned now to Scoffold, and saidquickly--
"That's a good notion, Harvey; that's a fair and just thing to say.We've had enough of this fellow, who brags and boasts, and shoots menfrom behind bushes. The young lady shall judge for us, and shall givehim his dismissal. It's a good idea, and one that we will see carriedout. Fetch Debora here."
"Stop!" I cried, as Harvey Scoffold was moving towards the door. "We'llhave no underhand tricks, and no warnings. Ring the bell, and send aservant for Miss Matchwick."
Scoffold stopped and looked at the doctor; the latter slowly nodded hishead. So it came about that Scoffold rang the bell, and on the coming ofthe servant requested that Miss Debora should be asked to step that way.After the man had retired, and while we waited in a grim silence for thecoming of Debora, I felt my cheeks begin to flame; almost it seemed asthough I felt again the sharp tingling pain where she had lashed meacross the face.
When the door opened at last the girl came in quickly. She walkedstraight towards where the doctor stood, and spoke at once impulsively.
"Oh, I am so sorry--so very sorry!" she said. "How did it happen? Haveyou found out who did it?"
Bardolph Just did not speak; he simply looked at me. Following thedirection of his eyes, she turned also and looked at me. I saw her drawherself up with that quick little lift of her chin; I saw a dawningsmile in the doctor's eyes.
"What is that man doing here?" she asked.
"He came, my dear Debora, with a purpose--a purpose which he has partlyaccomplished. My broken wrist tells its own tale; had he had his way, Ishould probably not be speaking to you now."
"Had he had his way, Miss Debora," I blurted out, "you would be lyingdead somewhere in this house--as the result of an accident!"
I saw her face blanch; she turned furtive, frightened eyes for a momenton the doctor. He shook his head, with a lifting of the eyebrows whichseemed to suggest that he left such a mad accusation to be judgedproperly by her; and she flashed round on me.
"I don't believe it--I don't believe a word of it!" she said.
"Thank you, my dear child," said Bardolph Just. "I might have known whatyour answer would be."
"Very satisfactory--quite what might have been expected," murmuredScoffold.
The girl had turned her head, and was looking at me steadily. What wasin her mind I could not tell, for her face told me nothing. Scorn of meI could read, and contempt; I felt my heart sink, even while I nervedmyself for the task before me.
"Is that why I am sent for?" she said. "Is it to hear such an accusationas this? Is this what you had to say to me?"
Still her eyes looked contemptuously into mine, where I stood halfabashed before her; still I felt that the doctor was growing momentarilymore sure of his victory.
"I asked that you might be sent for," I said, beginning my replysteadily, "in order that you might understand what is being done, andthat you might guard yourself against it. If you think me so poor athing that I may not help you, then for God's sake set me aside out ofthe matter; get someone else more worthy to assist you. But wakeup--open your eyes--face this Death that is waiting for you at everyturn!"
She might have been a figure of stone, so little movement did she make.And now I saw that both Harvey Scoffold and the doctor were watchingher, and not me.
"I have pleaded with you before; I have told you what I know is beingdone against you and against your life," I went on, speaking moreeagerly with every word. "That man has tried to kill you three severaltimes. He tried to make you walk out of that door at dead of night; hetried to poison you--of those things I have already told you. I was ableto save you on those two occasions, but after that he sent me away fromyou, and I had to leave you to the mercy of these men. Only by themerest chance did I find out that you had come down here, and were goingon this apparently innocent expedition this morning. Will you notbelieve me when I tell you that I heard the whole thing plotted betweenthem last night?"
She gave me no answer, although I waited for one. After a pause I wenton--
"There was to be an accident this morning; gun accidents have happenedfrequently. Mr. Scoffold there received his instructions----"
"I protest against this madman!" broke in Harvey Scoffold. "I assureyou----"
"Hold your tongue!" snapped the doctor unexpectedly. "Let him say whathe has to say."
"So I got a gun from the house," I went on; "for I meant to kill Dr.Just, if by chance I was quick enough to prevent him carrying out hisscheme. I lay in the woods over there, and I waited; then I saw HarveyScoffold walk in front with you, and I saw the doctor step back. As Godis my witness I saw the man raise his gun and point it direct at you;then I raised my own and fired."
Very slowly she turned her head, and stole a look at the doctor's face.I saw him repeat his former gesture, as though it were not worth whilefor him to deny the matter; the thing was so absurd. I saw Debora alsoglance at Harvey Scoffold, who smiled gaily and shook his head; then shelooked back towards me. I did not understand her; I could not read intothat mind that was behind her unfathomable eyes. If, while I waited forher judgment, I looked at her with any look of pleading, it was onlythat she might, for her
own sake, judge me fairly, and judge me to behonest.
"I won't trouble to remember the absurd name you bear, a name which isnot your own," she began very quietly. "I will only remember that youare nobody, and that you forced your way into Dr. Just's house while youwere a criminal flying from the law. Do you think it likely that Ishould take your word in such a matter as this?"
I saw Bardolph Just exchange a quick look with Harvey Scoffold, a lookcompounded of gratification as well as amazement. Scoffold, for hispart, was openly grinning.
"Your zeal for me and for my welfare is quite misplaced, and quiteunnecessary," went on Debora. "I'm sorry you should have thought itnecessary to try and kill my guardian; it is a merciful thing that youhave only injured him. That is all I have to say to you."
"Debora," I said, looking at her earnestly, "I entreat you to believethat what I have said is true. I know these men; I know what theirpurpose is; I know what must inevitably happen if you will not realiseyour own danger."
"Come--we've had enough of this!" broke in Bardolph Just. "It's quitetime we told this fellow that he'd best get away from the place, and beseen here no more. He's had his answer, and I hope he's pleased withit."
"Debora," I went on, ignoring the man altogether, "I will take you awayfrom this place, and will put you with friends who will be good to you.Debora, won't you listen to me?"
"I have given you my answer, and it is a final one," she said. "Had thewarning come from anyone else I might have been troubled byit--mystified by it; coming from a man with your record it is worthless.When I listened to you first I did not understand who you were; now Iknow. That is the end of it."
"It is not the end of it!" I cried fiercely, as she turned away from me."I will save you in spite of yourself; I will make you understand yourdanger, even if you do not see it now. I shall ask no thanks and seek noreward. I shall have done it for another reason." I turned to thedoctor, and pointed a finger at him. "As for you, sir, such aretribution is preparing for you as shall not be long delayed. You thinkyou have seen the last of me--you have not done that by any means. Don'tforget that I am a desperate man, with nothing to lose in this worldsave my liberty; and I shall not count that, if it becomes necessary forme to declare who I am, and to come forward into the light of day toprotect this girl. That's my last word on the matter."
"I'm glad to hear it!" retorted the doctor. "Open the door, Harvey,please."
Mr. Harvey Scoffold obeyed with alacrity, and, thus dismissed, I wentout of the house, and made my way towards the village. I was sent uponmy way more quickly, perhaps, from hearing a peal of laughter from theroom I had left. I went away with rage and bitterness in my heart.
I went back to my lodging at the little inn, more perplexed than ever asto what I should do. I knew that this was a new danger which threatenedthe girl, because she would prove an easier victim in any new schemewhich might be maturing, by reason of her belief in the man who meant tokill her; her trust in him would make her utterly unsuspicious. Thethought of that drove me almost frantic, and I raged up and down mylittle room in the inn, tormented by doubts and fears, and seeing my ownhelplessness loom more largely before me with every moment. Late in theafternoon I went out into the village of Comerford, undecided whether togo back to London, or whether to remain in that place. I wanderedaimlessly about the streets, and finally seated myself on a gate alittle way out, and propped my chin in my hands and gave myself up tothe gloomiest thoughts.
I became aware, in a curious, detached fashion, of a small country boy,with a very freckled face and very light hair, who had walked past metwice, and had observed me narrowly; now I came to think of it, I hadseen him loitering along on the other side of the street some half-hourpreviously. I looked at him with a frown now, and asked him what hewanted.
To my surprise he asked me if I was Mr. John New. I sat up and looked athim, and said that I was. From one of his pockets the boy drew out atwisted piece of paper, flattened it with one grubby hand upon theother, and spelled out the name. Then to my amazement, he handed thenote to me.
"Where did you get this from?" I demanded.
He told me that a lady had given it to him, and had given him also ashilling to find me. She had told him what I was like, and that I was astranger in the village; my aimlessly wandering about the streets haddone the rest, and had shown me to him. I added another shilling to theboy's new wealth on the spot, and he went away happy. Then I untwistedthe note, and read what was written on it.
"_I want to see you, and I must see you to-day. There is a place at the other side of the wood where you lay this morning--an old chalk-pit, half filled with water. At one side of that is a little ruined hut. I shall be there this evening at a little after six. I beg, that you will not fail me._
"_DEBORA._"
So much had I been tricked, and so little faith had I in man or womanthen, that for a moment I believed that this was another trap set, intowhich my feet should stumble. But the next moment, I told myself thatsurely this village boy would not have lied to me over the matter. Awoman had sent the note, and it could be but one woman. I thrust theprecious paper into my pocket, and set off then and there, with my heartsinging within me, to the place appointed.
I came to it well before the time, and found it to be just as the notedescribed. I had kept well away from the wood, and I came easily to theold disused chalk-pit, which had in it a small pond of stagnant water,formed by the rains of many seasons. Half-way up one side of it was thelittle hut to which Debora had referred. I made my way to it at once.Sitting down on an old bench, I looked through the open door, and socould command the way by which she would come.
The time drew on, and still I saw nothing of her. I was beginning tothink that some one had discovered that she had communicated with me, orelse that, after all, this might be a trap set for me. I blamed myselfthat I was here in this lonely place without a weapon. And thensuddenly, far off, I saw what it was that had delayed her.
The evening was very still and very fine; I could see a long way.Presently, in the distance, I made out a figure walking backwards andforwards on the edge of the wood; after quite a long time I made it outto be the doctor. I knew in a moment that the man stood as a barrierbetween the girl in the house and me in the hut, and that while he keptunconscious guard there it was impossible for us to meet. Yet I was ashelpless as she must be, and I could only wait until it pleased the manto go back to the house.
He must have walked there backwards and forwards for more than half anhour before I suddenly saw him in the clear light stop, and snap thefingers of his uninjured hand together, with the action of a man comingto a sudden quick resolution; then he turned, and went off with longstrides in the direction of the house. I wondered what he was going todo.
I endured another period of waiting that seemed interminable; and then Isaw her coming quickly through the wood and down towards the chalk-pit.She skirted the edge of it, and came on quickly towards where I stood inthe doorway of the hut waiting for her. After her declaration in thehouse, in the presence of the two men, I could not know in what mood shecame, and I was puzzled how I should greet her. About that, however, Ineed not have thought at all, for the miracle of it was that she camestraight towards me, with her eyes shining, and her hands stretched outtowards me, so that in the most wonderful way, and yet in a way mostnatural, I took her suddenly in my arms. And she broke at once into atorrent of prayers and excuses.
"Oh, my dear! my dear! I was so afraid you would not meet me. I have notdeserved that you should; it might have happened that you would notunderstand, and would believe that all the hateful things I said weremeant by me. You didn't believe that, did you?"
"Well--yes, I did," I stammered. "What else could I believe?"
"Don't you understand that I should have had no chance at all with thosemen, unless I had thrown them off their guard? I hated myselfafterwards, when they laughed and joked about you; I could have killedthem. Then I made up my mind that I must send and
find you."
"It was wonderful that the boy should know me so easily," I answered."How did you describe me?"
She hung her head, and I saw the colour mount from neck to brow. "I toldthe boy to look for a man with the mark of a blow across his face," shewhispered; and then, before I could prevent her, even had I wished, shehad put her arms about my neck and had drawn my head down, and waskissing me passionately on the mark itself. "That's to heal it--andthat--and that--and that!" she whispered.
We were both more composed presently, and were seated side by side onthe old bench inside the hut. We had no fear of being surprised byanyone; the side of the chalk-pit went up sheer behind the hut, and fromthe edge of it all was open country. Before us, as I have said,stretched the chalk-pit itself, and the wood, and beyond that thegrounds of the house. So we sat contentedly, and looked into eachother's eyes, and said what we wanted to say.
"It came upon me suddenly," began Debora, "this morning when I turnedand saw Dr. Just on his knees, holding his wrist. I seemed to knowinstinctively that you had shot him. I knew, dear, that you would notrun away, and I had time before they sent for me to make up my mind whatto do. I had not quite realised what he had meant to do. I did not thinkhe would be daring enough to shoot me in that fashion. But I am glad,for your sake, that you did not kill him."
"So am I--now," I replied. "And you do believe, my dearest girl, that hehas really tried on these three occasions to take your life?"
"I know it," she answered, with a little shiver. "But it is for the lasttime. See"--she placed her hands in mine, and looked fearlessly into myeyes--"for the future you shall look after me--you shall take care ofme. Is that too bold a thing to say?"
I drew her close to me. "No, Debora mine," I whispered, "because I loveyou. I am what you called me--a thing without a name, but in my heart Iam honest; in my heart I love the name that has been given me, becauseby that you first knew me."
I told her of my plans: that we should go away then and there, and thatfor that night I would give her the room I had taken at the inn, andwould find a lodging in another place. Then, quite early, before anyonewe need fear was awake, we would start off into the world, on someimpossible mission of making a fortune, and living happily for everafterwards.
"But you forget, John dear--I have a fortune already," she reminded me."That belongs to me--that we must get."
I was troubled at the thought of that, troubled lest she might believe,even for one fleeting moment, that I set that fortune as of greatervalue than herself. I was about to speak of it when she suddenly turnedto me, and began to speak with the deepest earnestness of quite anothermatter.
"There is something I must say to you--now, before we leave this place,"she said. "I want first of all to tell you that I never loved GregoryPennington; he was only my dear friend--my brother."
"I am glad," I answered simply.
"And I want to tell you now that I am absolutely certain in my own mindthat the boy never killed himself."
I was so startled that for a moment I could not answer her. She glancedout of the door of the hut, as though fearing that even in that placeshe might be overheard, and then went on speaking at a great rate:
"It was the last thing he would have done; there was no reason for it atall. He was happy, because he had always the mistaken hope that he mightpersuade me to love him. On the very night of his death--the night whenyou came there--he, too, had tried to persuade me to leave the house,and go away with him; like yourself, he believed that I was not safewith Dr. Just. Do you believe for a moment that, having said that to me,he would walk into the house and put a rope about his neck? No, I won'tbelieve it!"
"But, my darling, how else could he have died?" I asked.
She answered me quite solemnly, and with the same deep earnestness I hadheard in her tones before. "He was killed--murdered--by Dr. Just!"
"But why?" I asked stupidly.
"For the same reason that would prompt the man to seek your death, if hecould," she said. "Bardolph Just knew that Gregory Pennington wanted toget me to go away; Gregory probably told him so that night. If I wentaway and married anyone, my fortune went with me, and it is my horriblefortune that has come near to losing me my life. I know, as surely as ifI had seen it done, that the doctor killed Gregory Pennington. That hehanged him afterwards, to give colour to the idea of suicide, I quitebelieve; that would account for his anxiety to let you change placeswith the dead man."
"Another thought occurs to me," I said, after a pause. "Poor GregoryPennington's servant--the man Capper--must have seen what happened; theshock of it has left his mind a blank."
"I wonder," said Debora slowly, "I wonder if Capper will ever speak!"
That thought had been in my mind too, but I had been too startled atwhat I had heard to speak of it. We left the matter where it was, and asthe twilight was now coming on, came out of the hut and took our way bya circuitous route back towards the village. I took the girl to the inn,and left her in charge of the kindly landlady, giving the womaninstructions that under no circumstances was she to let anyone know thatthe girl was there. I think the landlady scented a runaway match, forshe smiled and nodded, and put a finger on her lips in token ofsilence.
Nothing happened, however, during that night; and in the morning quiteearly Debora stepped out of the little inn into the village street, andwe went off happily together to the railway station. There, by an earlymarket train, we got to London, coming to it just as all the people werepouring into the busy city for the day. I took Debora to a little,old-fashioned hotel that I had heard of near the Charterhouse, and lefther there while I set off on a mission of my own. I had determined that,before ever I saw my uncle, or availed myself of his promise to lookafter the girl, I would go again to that solitary house in which GregoryPennington had died, and would find the man Capper. For now I had thethreads of the thing strongly in my fingers; I knew from what point tostart, and I could put certain questions to Capper that he might be ableto answer.
I came to the house soon after mid-day, and opened the gate in the fenceand went in. Lest I should be refused admission for any reason, Idetermined that I would, if possible, slip into the house by the backway; and I made my way cautiously round there. So it happened that Icame in sight of that open window, on the window-seat of which I hadleft Mr. George Rabbit reclining while he kept guard over the littlegrey-headed man called Capper. And I was in time to see a curious sceneenacted before my eyes at that very window, just as though it had been ascene in some play. I was hidden among the trees, so that no one saw me,but I could both see and hear distinctly.
Standing with his back to the window, and with his arms folded, wasGeorge Rabbit, and his attitude was evidently one of defiance. Leaningagainst the side of the window-frame, watching him, and glancing also atsomeone else within the room, stood Capper, with nervous fingersplucking at his lips, and with that vacant smile upon his face. The manRabbit was speaking.
"I know too much to be turned aht, or to be told to do this or to dothat. I'm much too fly for that, guv'nor, an' so I tell yer. Money's mygame, 'an money I mean to 'ave."
The voice that replied, to my very great surprise, was the voice ofBardolph Just. "We'll see about that, you dog!" he shouted. And withthat I ran round at once through the back door, into the house, and madefor the room.
I darted in, in time to see the doctor with a heavy stick raised in hisright hand; he was in the very act of bringing it down with all hisforce, in a very passion of rage, on the head of George Rabbit. The manput up his arm in time to save his head, and drew back with a cry ofpain, and stopped dead on seeing me. The doctor swung round, too, andlowered the stick.
But the strangest thing of all was the sight of the man Capper. As thatblow had fallen, his eyes had been fixed upon the doctor; and I had seena great change come suddenly over his face. It was as if the man hadbeen turned into another being, so strangely had the face lighted up. Hegave what was nothing more nor less than a scream, and leapt straightfor the d
octor. As the doctor swung about at the sound, the man Cappercaught him by the throat, and held on, and swayed about with him, andseemed to be striving to choke him.
"Murder!" he shrieked, and again yet louder, "Murder!"