The Firm of Girdlestone

by Arthur Conan Doyle

  CHAPTER XLV.

  THE INVASION OF HAMPSHIRE.

  When Tom and the major arrived at Waterloo Station, the latter in thebreathless condition described in a preceding chapter, they found theGerman waiting for them with his two fellow-exiles. The gentleman ofNihilistic proclivities was somewhat tall and thin, with a longfrock-coat buttoned almost up to his throat, which showed signs ofgiving at the seams every here and there. His grizzly hair fell overhis collar behind, and he had a short bristling beard. He stood withone hand stuck into the front of his coat and the other upon his hip, asthough rehearsing the position in which his statue might be some dayerected in the streets of his native Russia, when the people had theirown, and despotism was no more. In spite of his worn attire there wassomething noble and striking about the man. His bow, when Baumserintroduced him to the major and Tom, would have graced any Court inEurope. Round his neck he had a coarse string from which hung a pair ofdouble eye-glasses. These he fixed upon his aquiline nose, and took agood look at the gentlemen whom he had come to serve.

  Bulow, of Kiel, was a small, dark-eyed, clean-shaven fellow, quick andenergetic in his movements, having more the appearance of a Celt than ofa Teuton. He seemed to be full of amiability, and assured the major inexecrable English how very happy he was to be able to do a service toone who had shown kindness to their esteemed colleague and persecutedpatriot, Von Baumser. Indeed both of the men showed great deference tothe German, and the major began to perceive that his friend was a veryexalted individual in Socialistic circles. He liked the look of the twoforeigners, and congratulated himself upon having their co-operation inthe matter on hand.

  Ill luck was in store for the expedition, however. On inquiry at theticket-office they found that there was no train for upwards of twohours, and then it was a slow one which would not land them until eighto'clock at Bedsworth. At this piece of information Tom Dimsdale fairlybroke down, and stamped about the station, raving and beseeching theofficials to run a special, be the cost what it might. This, however,could by no means be done, owing to the press of Saturday traffic.There was nothing for it but to wait. The three foreigners went off insearch of something to eat, and having found a convenient cookshop theydisappeared therein and feasted royally at Von Baumser's expense.Major Tobias Clutterbuck remained with the young man, who resolutelyrefused to leave the platform. The major knew of a snug little cornernot far off where he could have put in the time very comfortably, but hecould not bring himself to desert his companion even for a minute.I have no doubt that that wait of two hours in the draughty station ismarked up somewhere to the old sinner's credit account.

  Indeed, it was well that day that young Dimsdale had good friends at hisback. His appearance was so strange and wild that the passers-by turnedback to have another look at him, His eyes were open and staring, givinga fear-inspiring character to his expression. He could not sit stillfor an instant, but paced up and down and backwards and forwards underthe influence of the fierce energy which consumed him, while the majorplodded along manfully at his side, suggesting every consideration whichmight cheer him up, and narrating many tales, true and apocryphal, mostof which fell upon heedless ears.

  Ezra Girdlestone had four hours' start of them. That was the thoughtwhich rankled in Tom's heart and outweighed every other consideration.He knew Kate's nature so well that he was convinced that she would neverhave expressed such fears to Mrs. Scully unless she had very assuredreasons for them. In fact, apart from her own words, what could thissecrecy and seclusion mean except foul play. After what he had learnedabout the insurance of the ships and the manner in which the elderGirdlestone had induced him to cease corresponding with Kate, he couldbelieve anything of his partners. He knew, also, that in case of Kate'sdeath the money reverted to her guardian. There was not a single linkmissing in the chain of evidence which showed that a crime was incontemplation. Then, who was that butcher-like man whom Ezra was takingdown with him? Tom could have torn his hair as he thought of hispresent impotence and of his folly in losing sight of young Girdlestone.

  The major has put it on record that those two hours appeared to him thelongest that ever he passed in his life, and Tom, no doubt, wouldendorse the sentiment. Everything must have an end, however, and thestation clock, the hands of which seemed several times to have stoppedaltogether, began at last to approach the hour at which the Portsmouthtrain was timed to depart. Baumser and his two friends had come back,all three smoking cigarettes, and looking the better for their visit tothe cookshop. The five got into a first-class railway carriage andwaited. Would they never have done examining tickets and stampingluggage and going through all sorts of tedious formalities? At last,thank God! comes the shrill whistle of the guard, the answering snortfrom the engine, and they are fairly started upon their mission ofrescue.

  There was much to be arranged as to their plan of action. Tom, VonBaumser, and the major talked it over in a low voice, while the twoSocialists chatted together in German and consumed eternal cigarettes.Tom was for marching straight up to the Priory and demanding thatGirdlestone should deliver his ward up to them. To the major and theGerman this seemed an unwise proceeding. It was to put themselveshopelessly wrong from a legal point of view. Girdlestone had only tosay, as he assuredly would, that the whole story was a ridiculous mare'snest, and then what proof could they adduce, or what excuse give fortheir interference. However plausible their suspicions might be, theywere, after all, only suspicions, which other people might not view inas grave a light.

  "What would you advise, then?" Tom asked, passing his hand over hisheated forehead.

  "Bedad! I'll tell you the plan," the old soldier answered, "and I thinkme friend Von Baumser will agray with me. I understand that this placeis surrounded by a wall to which there is only one gate. Sure, we shallwait outside this wall, and one of us can go in as a skirmisher and findout how the land lies. Let him ascertain from the young lady herself ifshe requires immadiate help, and what she would wish done. If he can'tmake his way to her, let him hang about the house, and see and hear allthat he can. We shall then have something solid to work on. I have adog whistle here on me watch-chain, given me by Charley Gill, of theInniskillens. Our skirmisher could take that with him, and if he wantsimmadiate help one blow of it would be enough to bring the four of usover to him. Though how the divil I am to git over a wall," concludedthe major ruefully, looking down at his own proportions, "is more than Ican tell."

  "I hope, my vriends," said Von Baumser, "dat you vill allow me thehonour of going first, for ven I vas in the Swabian Jager I vas alwayscounted a very good spion."

  "That is my place," said Tom with decision.

  "You have the best claim," the major answered. "What a train this is!Ged, it's as slow as the one which Jimmy Travers, of the Commissariat,travelled in in America. They were staming along, according to Jimmy,when they saw a cow walking along the loine in front of them. They allthought that they were going to run into her, but it was all right, forthey never overtook her, and she soon walked clane out of sight. Herewe are at a station! How far to Bedsworth, guard?"

  "Next station, sir."

  "Thank the Lord! It's twinty to eight. We are rather behind our time.You always are if you are in a particular hurry."

  It was nearly eight o'clock by the time they reached their destination.The station-master directed them to the _Flying Bull_, where theysecured the very vehicle in which Kate and her guardian had beenoriginally driven up. By the time that the horse was put in it wasclose upon the half-hour.

  "Drive as hard as you can go to the Proiory, me man," said the major.

  The sulky ostler made no remark, but a look of surprise passed over hisphlegmatic countenance. For years back so little had been heard of theold monastery that its very existence had been almost forgotten inBedsworth. Now whole troops of Londoners were coming down insuccession, demanding to be driven there. He pondered over the strangefact as he drove through the darkness, but the onl
y conclusion to whichhis bucolic mind could come was that it was high time to raise the fareto that particular point.

  It was a miserable night, stormy and wet and bitterly cold. None of thefive men had a thought to spare for the weather, however. The twoforeigners had been so infected by the suppressed excitement of theircompanions, or had so identified themselves with their comrades' cause,that they were as eager as the others.

  "Are we near?" the major asked.

  "The gate is just at the end o' the lane, sir."

  "Don't pull up at the gate, but take us a little past it."

  "There ain't no way in except the gate," the driver remarked.

  "Do what you're ordered," said the major sternly. Once again theostler's face betrayed unbounded astonishment. He slewed half-way roundin his seat and took as good a look as was possible in the uncertainlight at the faces of his passengers. It had occurred to him that itwas more than likely that he would have to swear to them at some futuredate in a police-court. "I'd know that thick 'un wi' the red face," hemuttered to himself, "and him wi' the yeller beard and the stick."

  They passed the stone pillars with the weather-beaten heraldic devices,and drove along by the high park wall. When they had gone a hundredyards or so the major ordered the driver to pull up, and they all gotdown. The increased fare was paid without remonstrance, and the ostlerrattled away homewards, with the intention of pulling up at the countypolice-station and lodging information as to the suspicious visitorswhom he had brought down.

  "It is loikely that they have a watch at the gate," said the major."We must kape away from there. This wall is a great hoight. We'd bestkape on until we find the aisiest place to scale it."

  "I could get over it here," Tom said eagerly.

  "Wait a bit. A few minutes can make no difference one way or the other.Ould Sir Colin used to say that there were more battles lost byover-haste than by slowness. What's the high bank running along on theright here?"

  "Dat's a railway bankment," said Von Baumser. "See de posts and delittle red lights over yonder."

  "So it is. The wall seems to me to be lower here. What's this darkthing? Hullo, here's a door lading into the grounds."

  "It is locked though."

  "Give me a hoist here," Tom said imploringly. "Don't throw a minuteaway. You can't tell what may be going on inside. At this very momentfor all we know they may be plotting her murder."

  "He has right," said Von Baumser. "We shall await here until we hearfrom you. Help him, my vriends--shove him up!"

  Tom caught the coping of the wall, although the broken glass cut deeplyinto his hands. With a great heave he swung himself up, and was soonastride upon the top.

  "Here's the whistle," said the major, standing on tiptoe to reach adownstretched hand. "If you want us, give a good blow at it. We'll bewith you in a brace of shakes. If we can't get over the wall we'll havethe door down. Divil a fear but we'll be there!"

  Tom was in the act of letting himself drop into the wood, when suddenlythe watchers below saw him crouch down upon the wall, and liemotionless, as though listening intently.

  "Hush!" he whispered, leaning over. "Some one is coming through thewood."

  The wind had died away and the storm subsided. Even from the lane theycould hear the sound of feet, and of muffled voices inside the grounds.They all crouched down in the shadow of the wall. Tom lay flat upon theglass-studded coping, and no one looking from below could distinguishhim from the wall itself.

  The voices and the footsteps sounded louder and louder, until they werejust at the other side of the boundary. They seemed to come fromseveral people walking slowly and heavily. There was the shrill raspingof a key, and the wooden door swung back on its rusty hinges, whilethree dark figures passed out who appeared to bear some burden betweenthem. The party in the shadow crouched closer still, and peered throughthe darkness with eager, anxious eyes. They could discern little savethe vague outlines of the moving men, and yet as they gazed at them anunaccountable and overpowering horror crept into the hearts of every oneof them. They breathed the atmosphere of death.

  The new-comers tramped across the road, and, pushing through the thinhedge, ascended the railway embankment upon the other side. It wasevident that their burden was a heavy one, for they stopped more thanonce while ascending the steep grassy slope, and once, when near thetop, one of the party slipped, and there was a sound as though he hadfallen upon his knees, together with a stifled oath. They reached thetop, however, and their figures, which had disappeared from view, cameinto sight again, standing out dimly against the murky sky. They bentdown over the railway line, and placed the indistinguishable mass whichthey bore carefully upon it.

  "We must have the light," said a voice.

  "No, no; there's no need," another expostulated.

  "We can't work in the dark," said a third, loudly and harshly."Where's your lantern, guv'nor? I've got a lucifer."

  "We must manage that the train passes over right," the first voiceremarked. "Here, Burt, you light it?"

  There was the sharp sound of the striking of a match, and a feebleglimmer appeared, in the darkness. It flickered and waned, as thoughthe wind would extinguish it, but next instant the wick of the lanternhad caught, and threw a strong yellow glare upon the scene. The lightfell upon the major and his comrades, who had sprung into the road, andit lit up the group on the railway line. Yet it was not upon therescuing party that the murderers fixed their terror-stricken eyes, andthe major and his friends had lost all thought of the miscreants abovethem--for there, standing in the centre of the roadway, there with thelight flickering over her pale sweet face, like a spirit from the tomb,stood none other than the much-enduring, cruelly-treated girl for whomBurt's murderous blow had been intended.

  For a few moments she stood there without either party moving a foot oruttering a sound. Then there came from the railway line a cry so wildthat it will ring for ever in the ears of those who heard it.Burt dropped upon his knees and put his band over his eyes to keep outthe sight. John Girdlestone caught his son by the wrist and dashed awayinto the darkness, flying wildly, madly, with white faces and staringeyes, as men who have looked upon that which is not of this world.In the meantime, Tom had sprung down from his perch, and had claspedKate in his arms, and there she lay, sobbing and laughing, with manypretty feminine ejaculations and exclamations and questions, saved atlast from the net of death which had been closing upon her so long.