Brownsmith's Boy Part 78

"A nice tale?" said Sir Francis. "We are getting to the bottom of a pretty state of things."

Just then I saw Courtenay look at Philip as if he were uneasy. Then I glanced at Sir Francis and saw him gnawing at his moustache.

"Lookye here, sir," said Ike st.u.r.dily. "Is it likely as we two would take the fruit? Why, we're always amongst it, and think no more of it than if it was so much stones and dirt. We ain't thieves."

"Look here," said Sir Francis, suddenly taking a tack in another direction, "you own that you beat my son--my stepson," he added correctively, "in that way?"

"Yes, Sir Francis," I said, "I didn't know who he was in the dark."

"You couldn't see him?"

"Only just, Sir Francis; and I hit him as hard as I could."

"And you, my man, do you own that you struck my other stepson as hard as you could in the chest?"

"No!" cried Ike fiercely; and to the surprise of all he threw off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeve, displaying a great red-brown ma.s.s of bone and muscle, and a mighty fist. "Lookye here, your worship. See there. Why, if I'd hit that boy with that there fist as hard as ever I could, there wouldn't be no boy now, only a coroner's inquess. Bah! I wonder at you, Sir Francis! There's none of my marks on him, only where I gripped his arms. Take off your jacket, youngster, and show your pa."

"How dare you!" cried Philip indignantly.

"Take off your jacket, sir!" roared Sir Francis, and trembling and flushing, Philip did as he was told, and at a second bidding rolled up his sleeves to show the marks of Ike's fingers plainly enough.

Ike said nothing now, but uttered a low grunt.

"He did hit me," cried Philip excitedly.

"No; I hit you," I cried, "when I rushed at you first. I followed you after I'd heard you scramble over the wall."

"Oh!" cried Philip with an indignant look.

"You heard them scramble over the wall?" said Sir Francis sharply.

"Yes, Sir Francis. I think it was by the big keeping-pear that is trained horizontally--that large old tree, the last in the row."

Sir Francis sat back in his chair for a few moments in silence; and Courtenay said to his brother in a whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Did you ever hear anyone go on like that!"

Sir Francis took no notice, but slowly rose from his seat, crossed the room, opened the French window that looked out upon the lawn, and then said:

"Hand me a candle, Brownsmith."

The candle was placed in his hands, and he walked with it right out on to the lawn and then held it above his head.

Then, walking back into the room, he took up another candlestick.

"Let everyone stay as he is till I come back."

"Do you mean us to stay here, papa--with these people?" said Courtenay haughtily.

Sir Francis stopped short and looked at him sternly without speaking, making the boy blench. Then he turned away without a word, and followed by Mr Solomon bearing a lighted candle, which hardly flickered in the still autumn evening, he went on down the garden.

"Haw--haw--haw!" laughed Ike as soon as we were alone. "You're a pair o' nice uns--you are! But you're ketched this time," he added.

"How dare you speak to us, sir!" cried Courtenay indignantly. "Hold your tongue, sir!"

"No use to hold it now," said Ike laughing. "I say, don't you feel warm?"

"Don't take any notice of the fellow, Court," cried Phil; "and as for pauper--"

"You leave him to me," said Courtenay with a vindictive look. "I'll make him remember telling his lies of me--yes, and of you too. He shall remember to-night as long as he lives, unless he asks our pardon, as soon as Sir Francis comes back and owns that it was he who was taking the pears."

I turned away from them and spoke to Ike, who was asking me about my hurts.

"Oh! they're nothing," I said--"only a few scratches and bruises. I don't mind them."

The two boys were whispering eagerly together, and I heard Philip say:

"Well, ask him; he'd do anything for money."

"Look here," said Courtenay.

I believe he was going to offer to bribe us; but just then there was the sound of voices in the garden and Sir Francis appeared directly after, candle in hand, closely followed by Mr Solomon, and both of them looking very serious, though somehow it did not have the slightest effect on me, for I was watching the faces of Courtenay and Philip.

"Shut that window, Brownsmith," said Sir Francis, as he set down his candle and went back to his chair behind the table.

Mr Solomon shut the window, and then came forward and set down his candle in turn.

"Now," said Sir Francis, "we can finish this business, I think. You say, Grant, that you heard someone climb over the wall by the big trained pear-tree?"

"I heard two people come over, sir, and one of them fell down, and, I think, broke a small tree or bush."

"Yes," said Sir Francis, "a bush is broken, and someone has climbed over by that big pear-tree."

"I digged that bit along that wall only yesterday," said Ike.

"Be silent, sir," cried Sir Francis; "stop. Come forward; set a candle down on the floor, Brownsmith."

It was done.

"You, Isaac, hold up one of your feet--there, by the candle. No, no, man; I want to see the sole."

Ike held up a foot as if he were a horse about to be shod, and growled out:

"Fifteen and six, master, and warranted water-tights."

"That will do, my man," said Sir Francis, frowning severely as if to hide a smile; and Ike put down his great boot and went softly back to his place.

"Now you, Grant," said Sir Francis.