The Queen's Scarlet Part 13

"But you will stop for the day?" said Mr Draycott, anxiously.

"There is not the slightest need, my dear sir. My colleague yonder will, unless something very unforeseen happens, pull him through."

"But if anything unforeseen does happen?" said Mr Draycott, nervously.

"Then telegraph to me, and I will come down at once. But I don't think you need fear, Mr Draycott, and I congratulate you upon the happy turn things have taken. Good-morning. I shall hurry off to catch an early train."

"Congratulate me upon the happy turn things have taken!" groaned the tutor, wiping his moist face. "Poor boy! poor boy! I ought to have seen him again. It was more than the high-spirited lad could bear."

"Yes, sir; that's it."

"You back, Brigley? Was I thinking aloud?"

"Yes, sir; and I heard every word."

"But the police?"

"They were off at once, sir. They're going to hire a big boat and try and find him; but the inspector shook his head. He says he thinks it means being washed away to sea."

That was a sad day at the tutor's, Richard Frayne's yellow-pupils going to and fro in the silent house talking of the cousins, and canva.s.sing Richard Frayne's act from different points of view.

The news soon spread, too, in the town; for the setting-off of the police with a couple of stout boatmen and the drags was enough to set the place in a ferment.

There were plenty there, too, ready to talk of the position, as everything leaked out by degrees, and formed an exciting topic to add to that of the previous day, during which some hundreds had flocked down to the ruins to see the spot where the two pupils had fought and one had been killed--so it was firmly believed. Now the journeys were in the other direction--down the flooded river--but here the remains of the bridge and the spot where the mill had stood were the only things which rewarded their enterprise; for the police-boat had been swept down for miles, and it was not till dark that the men returned by rail to report that they could do nothing in the fierce, rushing waters till the flood was at an end.

That evening, to Jerry's great disgust, a crowd of idlers gathered on the opposite side of the road to stare at the tutor's house, where the blinds were drawn down, as if they secured great satisfaction in gaping and whispering one to the other.

"Oh!" he muttered, "if I could only have my way!"

Mr Shrubsole, the second doctor, undertook to stay at the house that night, in case of any relapse on the part of Mark, and to the tutor's great satisfaction, for he had fallen into a nervous state, wandering about the place and giving the pupils a fresh theme of conversation to occupy the dreary, slow-dragging time.

Jerry caught the inspector as he came out of Mr Draycott's study, and signalled him into the pantry.

"Then you did nothing?" he said.

"Yes, we did," said the inspector, grimly; "we saved our lives, which was about all we could do. I only went for the name of the thing, Mr Brigley--thankye, I'll say port. Of course, I went--ah! very nice full gla.s.s or wine. People's so ready to say, 'Where are the police?' that, if we hadn't gone, they'd ha' been ready to think the poor young gent was hanging on by the branch of a tree and we wouldn't go and save him.

But I put it to you--well, thankye, Mr Brigley, I won't say no; didn't know you kept such a port as that."

"It won't be long before the water goes down?"

"No. Not it. Goes down, you know, as quickly as it goes up; but don't you expect too much, sir."

"You think you won't find him?"

"Yes; that's it," said the inspector. "Why, look at the way the water was rushing along! Of course, he may be picked up right away down where the tide rises--Limesmouth or Dunkney--or about there; but I say it's very doubtful."

"Ah!" sighed Jerry.

"Poor young chap! The times I've stopped outside listening to him on the flute, or blowing that cornet, or sc.r.a.ping away at the fiddle.

Wonderful power of music in those fingers of his and lips."

"And now all still, and stiff, and cold!" groaned Jerry.

"Hold up, man--hold up!" said the inspector, kindly. "Life is short, you know; but we never expected this--did we?"

Jerry shook his head.

"And so the other young gent's getting better, is he?"

Jerry nodded.

"Yes, the doctor told me. I thought we'd got a big interesting case on there. Sensible?"

Jerry shook his head.

"Ah! That's what the doctor said, and that he might not be really sensible for weeks. Narrow squeak for him, eh?"

"Yes."

"Fancy! That poor young chap nearly killing him!"

"And serve him right!" shouted out Jerry, angrily. "Mr Frayne must have made him so mad he couldn't bear himself, and he hit out hard. It was only an accident, after all."

"But we should have been in it, Mr Brigley, even if he got off; and there would have been the inquest, too. Things have been a bit quiet here lately."

"Well, you'll have your inquest, after all," said Jerry, bitterly.

"Humph! Not so sure, sir. But it's a very, very sad business, Mr Brigley, and I must be going now. Thank you. Quite refreshing, sir!

Good-night; and wish you well out of the trouble."

"Wish us well out of the trouble!" growled Jerry, bitterly. "As if there ever would be any way out of it. On'y to think--him upstairs getting better, and his people telegraphing to say they'll come over at once, and his cousin lying there out in the cold river, who knows how deep? It only wanted this to make me wish--"

Jerry did not finish his sentence, but took a letter out of his pocket, read it through, and uttered a derisive laugh.

"Yes; it only wanted this to help make me happy. Well, it wasn't so very much, but it's gone; and serve me right for being such a fool!"

Just then a bell rang, and he went to answer it.

"The doctor says we need not sit up, Brigley," said his master, sadly.

"You are tired. I shall want you no more to-night. The nurse will get anything the doctor requires."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Jerry. "Mr Frayne, sir?--now?"

"Sleeping, I believe, Brigley. Good-night!"

"No; a bad night!" said Jerry. "Poor S'Richard! I'd give anything to see him again!"