Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles Part 48

Cyril rang the bell as he spoke. Nancy, the maid who waited on the school-room, came in answer to it. "Some jam," said Cyril. "And be quick over it."

"What sort, sir?" inquired Nancy.

"Sort? oh--let's see: damson."

"The damson jam was finished last week, sir. It is nearly the season to make more."

Cyril replied by a rude and ugly word. After some cogitation, he decided upon black currant.

"And bring me up some apricot," put in George.

"And we'll have some gooseberry," called out Rosa. "If you boys have jam, we'll have some too."

Nancy disappeared. Cyril suddenly threw himself back on the sofa, and burst into another ringing laugh. "I can't help it," he exclaimed. "I am thinking of the old woman's fright, and their dismay at having to pay the damage."

"Do you know what I should do in your place, Cyril?" said Miss Benyon.

"I should go back to Markham, and tell him honourably that I caused the accident. You know how poor they are; they cannot afford to pay for it."

Cyril stared at Miss Benyon. "Where'd be the pull of that?" asked he.

"The 'pull,' Cyril, would be, that you would repair a wrong done to an unoffending neighbour, and might go to sleep with a clear conscience."

The last suggestion amused Cyril amazingly he and conscience had not a great deal to do with each other. He was politely telling Miss Benyon that those notions were good enough for old maids, when Nancy appeared with the several sorts of jam demanded. Cyril drew his chair to the table, and Nancy went down.

"Ring the bell, Rosa," said Cyril, before the girl could well have reached the kitchen. "I can't see one sort from another; we must have candles."

"Ring it yourself," retorted Rosa.

"George, ring the bell," commanded Cyril.

George obeyed. He was under Cyril in the college school, and accustomed to obey him.

"You might have told Nancy when she was here," remarked Miss Benyon to Cyril. "It would have saved her a journey."

"And if it would?" asked Cyril. "What were servants' legs made for, but to be used?"

Nancy received the order for the candles, and brought them up. It was to be hoped her legs _were_ made to be used, for scarcely had Cyril begun to enjoy his black currant jam when they were heard coming up the stairs again.

"Master Cyril, Mr. Markham wants to see you."

Cyril and the rest exchanged looks. "Did you say I was at home?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you were an idiot for your pains! I can't come down, tell him. I am at tea."

Down went Nancy accordingly. And back she came again. "He says he must see you, Master Cyril."

"Be a man, Cyril, and face it," whispered Miss Benyon in his ear.

Cyril jerked his head rudely away from her. "I won't go down. There!

Nancy, you may tell Markham so."

"He has sat down on the garden bench, sir, outside the window to wait,"

explained Nancy. "He says, if you won't see him he shall ask for Mr.

Dare."

Cyril appeared to be in for it. He dashed his bread and jam on the table, and clattered down. "Who's wanting me?" called out he, when he got outside. "Oh!--is it you, Markham?"

"How came you to throw a stone just now, and break my window, Cyril Dare?"

The words threw Cyril into the greatest apparent surprise. "_I_ throw a stone and break your window!" repeated he. "I don't know what you mean."

"Either you or your brother threw it; you were both together. It entered my mother's bedroom window, and went within an inch of her head. I'll trouble you to send a glazier round to put the pane in."

"Well, of all strange accusations, this is about the strangest!" uttered Cyril. "We have not been near your window; we are upstairs at our tea."

At this juncture, Mr. Dare came out. He had heard the altercation in the house. "What's this?" asked he. "Good evening, Markham."

Markham explained. "They crouched down under the hedge when they had done the mischief," he continued, "thinking, no doubt, to get away undetected. But, as it happened, Brooks the nurseryman was in his ground behind the opposite hedge, and he saw the whole. He says they were throwing at the bats. Now I should be sorry to get them punished, Mr.

Dare; we have been boys ourselves; but if young gentlemen will throw stones, they must pay for any damage they do. I have requested your son to send a glazier round in the morning. I am sorry he should have denied the fact."

Mr. Dare turned to Cyril. "If you did it, why do you deny it?"

Cyril hesitated for the tenth part of a second. Which would be the best policy? To give in, or to hold out? He chose the latter. His word was as good as that confounded Brooks's, and he'd brave it out! "We didn't do it," he angrily said; "we have not been near the place this evening.

Brooks must have mistaken others for us in the dusk."

"They did do it, Mr. Dare. There's no mistake about it. Brooks had been watching them, and he thinks it was the bigger one who threw that particular stone. If I had set a house on fire," Markham added to Cyril, "I'd rather confess the accident, than deny it by a lie. What sort of a man do you expect to make?"

"A better one than you!" insolently retorted Cyril.

"Wait an instant," said Mr. Dare. He proceeded to the school-room to inquire of George. That young gentleman had been an admiring hearer of the colloquy from a staircase-window. He tore back to the school-room on the approach of his father; hastily deciding that he must bear out Cyril in the denial. "Now, George," said Mr. Dare, sternly, "did you and Cyril do this, or did you not?"

"Of course we did not, papa," was the ready reply. "We have not been near Markham's. Brooks must be a fool."

Mr. Dare believed him. He was leaving the room when Miss Benyon interposed.

"Sir, I should be doing wrong to allow you to be deceived. They did break the window."

The address caused Mr. Dare to pause. "How do you know it, Miss Benyon?"

Miss Benyon related what had pa.s.sed. Mr. Dare cast his eyes sternly upon his youngest son. "It is you who are the fool, George, not Brooks. A lie is sure to get found out in the end; don't attempt to tell another."

Mr. Dare went down. "I cannot come quite to the bottom of this business, Markham," said he, feeling unwilling to expose his sons more than they had exposed themselves. "At all events you shall have the window put in. A pane of gla.s.s is not much on either side."

"It is a good deal to my pocket, Mr. Dare. But that's all I ask. And you know my character too well to fear I would make a doubtful claim. Brooks is open to inquiry."