Burr Junior Part 74

"Yes, go on, Polly," said the General, rubbing his hands. "What sort of a watch was it?"

"A little one, sir, with a fancy face and two letters cut in a round spot on the back."

"What letters were they?" said the General.

"A Hee and a B, sir."

"Eliezer Burr," said the Doctor loudly. "Hah!" and he took off his gold-rimmed spectacles, rubbed them, and began to beam.

"Should you--" began my uncle.

"No, no, no, Seaborough; allow me," said the General. "My turn. I was coming to that. Now, Polly, be careful, and don't say anything rash, because this is very serious."

"Oh yes, Sir Orkus."

"Dear me, Doctor," said the General apologetically, "I am sorry we have no h's here."

"Pray go on, Sir Hawkhurst," said the Doctor, smiling, and aspirating both in the name forcibly.

"Now, Polly, should you know that watch?"

"Oh yes, Sir Orkus; both the hands were together at twelve o'clock, and the gla.s.s was a bit scratched, and I told him I didn't believe he came by the watch honest, and that if ever he dared to come near the place again to want me to accept his rubbish, I'd take father's gun down out of the slings and give him a charge of shot in his legs."

"Then, Polly, you didn't take the watch?"

"Me, Sir Orkus!" cried Polly indignantly; "I should think not, indeed.

I told him to be off, and he went away in a huff."

"In a what?"

"A huff, Sir Orkus, a huff--a pa.s.sion."

"Oh, I see. And now tell me--be careful. Give me the--the--thank you.

Now, Polly, is that anything like the watch?"

"Oh yes, Sir Orkus, that's the very one. If you open it, you'll hear it shuts with a very loud snap."

"So it does," said the General, putting it to the test. "And now, tell me, when was this? You don't recollect?"

"Oh yes, I do, Sir Orkus. It was nex' day after the cricket match, because I was cleaning my best shoes, as I wore at the match, when he come."

"Very good, Polly," said the General, rubbing his hands.

"Excellent!" said my uncle; "but that does not prove the man stole it."

"Why, he must have crept along the ditch behind the tent," I cried involuntarily, "and pushed his arm through. Yes, I know," I said, getting more excited, as my mother's arm tightened about me. "I saw him that evening with his face all stung by nettles."

"That ditch is full of nettles," cried Mr Hasnip.

"Good! good!" cried the General.

"But how came the watch hidden in that bin?" cried my uncle sternly.

"I know," said Cook. "Why, of course, he was afraid to keep it; and it's just like him."

"I do not follow you," said my uncle.

"Why, when he was at work in our garden, my smelling-bottle o' salts was stolen, and when I made a fuss about it, some one found it hid away behind the scullery door, where he put it."

"Then you think this man hid it there?" said my uncle.

"I'm sure of it, sir. Why, didn't I catch him one morning early coming out of the stable, and, 'What are you doing there?' I says. 'Looking for the top of my hoe,' he says, 'as I left here when I was at work.

Ain't seen it, have you?' he says. 'No,' I says, 'but I see the gardener just now coming to work, and I'll call him.' 'Never mind, mum,' he says, and he went off, and n.o.body's seen him about here since.

Oh, look there! Poor dear!"

I just saved my mother from falling, and she was helped into a chair, clinging to my hand, though, all the time, as she burst into a hysterical fit of sobbing. But she calmed down after a few minutes, and the gentlemen, who had been talking in a low voice earnestly together, now resumed their places, the Doctor clearing his voice loudly.

"Burr junior," he said in his most magisterial tones, and then he stopped short, coughed again, blew his nose, and was silent.

"Forgive me, gentlemen," he said at last. "This has been a great trouble to me--I feel moved--I have painfully hurt the feelings of a dear, sweet lady, to whom I humbly apologise, and I--I make no favourites here, but I have wrongfully suspected--but on very strong evidence, gentlemen," he said, with an appealing look round; "and you agreed with me, Mr Rebble--Mr Hasnip?"

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir," they murmured.

"Wrongfully suspected a boy to whom my wife and I were warmly attached.

Burr junior--I--er--Frank, my boy, come here!"

I went up to him, flushed now and trembling.

"Shake hands, my boy," said the old man, "and thank G.o.d with me that the truth has at last prevailed. But tell me, Burr, we do not know all yet.

You have been very reticent. You denied the charge stoutly, but your manner always impressed us with the belief that you knew more. Now let us clear up this sad business once for all. You will speak out now, will you not?"

"Yes, sir," I said huskily, and my cheeks burned with shame as I glanced at Mercer, who was now making horrible grimaces at me to indicate his joy.

"Then there was something?"

"Yes, sir," I said, and I glanced at my mother, whose face was now pale with fresh alarm. "d.i.c.ksee did see me find the watch there and hide it again."

"Yes; go on."

"Ever since Burr major had that watch, Mercer longed for it, and he was always talking about it, and wishing he had one."

"Well, I couldn't help that, Frank," cried Mercer; "but of course I wouldn't have taken it."

"No, Tom," I said, with a gulp, and my voice changing in spite of my efforts to be firm, and, a thorough schoolboy and companion once more, I blundered out, "but I was such a beast, I thought you had stolen it, and I wouldn't speak to save myself for fear you should be expelled."

"Oh!" cried Mercer in the midst of the silence which now fell.

Then, drawing a long breath, he went on,--