While the boys were thus engaged they heard some footsteps, and they guessed that the coachmen were returning from their suppers to look after their horses. They therefore beat a precipitate retreat through the gate which led into the garden, and quickly made their way into the ball-room.
Mr Bowdler was walking about the room, speaking a kindly word whenever he had an opportunity, both to young and old, of those among whom he had come to live, and whom he was anxious to instruct, and endeavouring, as he felt it most important to do, to win the confidence of all, when he saw the two boys return. Their hair was disordered, their shoes were far from clean, and there were thin lines of dust or mud on their jackets. Julian looked flushed, and Digby had a sheepish abashed manner, very different from that which usually distinguished him. He was very certain that they had been about something they should not, but the question as to what they had been doing he did not think fit to ask.
It was already getting later than the hour which he liked to be away from home, so, wishing Mr and Mrs Heathcote good-night, in that pleasant cordial manner which had already gained him their good-will, he walked out to get ready his own carriage. The gla.s.s door of the house which led into the garden was open, and so was that which led from the garden into the court-yard. Near his own carriage he saw something shining on the ground. He stooped down, and picked up a clasp knife which he himself had given to Digby a few days before. A groom came and brought out his horse and harnessed it to his carriage. When, however, the man led it out to be clear of the other carriages, in crossing a shallow open drain, first one wheel came off, and then, to his surprise, another followed. As the carriage was moving very slowly, and no one was in it, there was little harm done.
Mr Bowdler said nothing. "That was a cruel trick of those thoughtless boys," he uttered to himself. "They could scarcely have wished to injure me, but I fear they are the guilty ones."
He and the groom hunted about till they found the linch-pins and the wires which kept them in, and, having examined the other wheels, he got in and drove off.
The groom, of course, wondered how it could have happened, but it did not occur to him to accuse the young gentlemen.
Soon after this, Mrs Fuller"s coach was ordered. The fat coachman put the horses to, and drove slowly up to the front door. She and four daughters, and two young sons, came down the steps, the first got in, and the latter got up outside, while Digby and Julian stood in the hall looking on. Digby nearly bit off the thumb of his glove in his eagerness, and hesitation and regret, as he watched for the catastrophe he expected. Julian, fancying that they were secure from detection, stood more in front, highly amused at the thoughts of seeing the fat coachman tumble off into the dust.
Just as they were starting, a carriage was heard coming rapidly along the road. The fat coachman thought that he ought to move out of the way, so he whipped on his horses and away they trotted. A stone had been cast on to the carriage-way--the old family coach b.u.mped over it-- off flew a wheel--over went the carriage, the coachman and the two lads were thrown off with no little violence, right and left, greatly to Julian"s delight, and the ladies screamed.
Fortunately the windows had not been drawn up, and no one was cut, but being stout people and closely packed, they were very much jammed together. The poor coachman was the most hurt, and the young men had their coats spoilt. They were on their legs in a moment, and while one helped up the coachman the other ran to the horses" heads. The next thing was to get out the ladies, who, trembling and alarmed, reentered the hall. Grooms, and servants, and gentlemen, a.s.sembled from all quarters.
"Look at the other wheels," said a voice.
It was that of Mr Bowdler. His mind had misgiven him that the trick which he had discovered might have been played to other carriages, and he had driven back. He returned to the coach-yard and warned the coachmen of what he suspected. He found them in a state of great commotion, all crying out for the things they had lost, one accusing the other of having appropriated them. Their anger was still further increased when, in accordance with Mr Bowdler"s advice, they discovered the linch-pins had been abstracted from several of the carriages, and that the necks of some of them had narrowly escaped being broken. They were loud in their threats of vengeance on the heads of the unknown ragam.u.f.fins who had committed the atrocious act.
"It"s they gipsies," said one; "they"ve done it to rob the ladies as we drove along."
"It"s some on old Dame Marlow"s tricks. I don"t think az how any one could a come in here to play zick a prank," observed another, a believer in the Dame"s powers.
Some, however, ventured to suggest that as there were young gentlemen at the Hall, and young gentlemen did play very bad tricks at times, they might have done it. Opinion was setting very much in this direction, when John Pratt appeared, and was highly indignant that any such reflection should be cast on his young master.
Mr Bowdler having a.s.sured himself that no more harm was likely to occur, drove away again.
"I am not justified in allowing the boys to go on in this way," he said to himself. "I must inform Mr Heathcote of what has occurred, and get them sent to where they will be properly looked after; I should like to get them separated; one will learn no good from the other."
Meantime the disturbance in the coach-yard increased, and John Pratt had at last to summon his master from the ball-room to quell it. Mr Heathcote"s voice was now heard inquiring what was the matter, when a dozen people tried to give their own versions of the state of affairs.
"Very well, my friends," said Mr Heathcote, after listening to them patiently, "keep the peace among yourselves for the present, and if the culprits can be discovered, I will take care, I promise you, that they shall be properly punished. And John Pratt, get more lanterns, and have all the things in the carriages collected, and distributed to the proper owners as they are claimed."
Having said this, the master of the house returned to his guests.
Julian and Digby, when they heard what Mr Heathcote had said, were in a great fright. Digby knew very well that what his father said he would do--that he a.s.suredly would do. He had no hope of escaping detection, and was certain that he should be punished. Of course, he remembered that he had not actually taken the linch-pins out of the carriages, but he had stood by, if not aiding and abetting, at all events not making any strenuous effort to prevent the deed. He, therefore, never for a moment dreamed of sheltering himself under the plea that he had not touched the linch-pins. It scarcely occurred to him that Julian might have exonerated him in a great degree by generously declaring that he himself had proposed the trick and had carried it out. Had he been in Julian"s place, that is what he would have done; but he did not ask Julian to act thus for him, and he made up his mind to abide the consequences. He felt that any excuse he could offer for himself would throw more blame on Julian, and it did occur to him that even then his word might be doubted.
In the meantime Mrs Fuller"s carriage was put to rights, the coachman mounted on his box, the ladies were handed in, and the young gentlemen got up once more on the rumble, all of them very angry and annoyed, as well they might be, and some not a little bruised. Mr Heathcote a.s.sured them of his vexation at what had occurred, and promised them, as he had the coachmen, that he would get the culprits properly punished.
The party at length separated, and Digby, more unhappy and discontented with himself than he had been for a long time, went to bed and cried with very vexation till he fell asleep. It was a pity that his repentance was not of a more permanent nature.
The next morning he arose refreshed, and though he felt an unusual weight at his heart, yet he looked at things in a brighter light.
Julian looked immaterial (as Kate called his expression of countenance) when he came down to breakfast, and had evidently made up his mind to brazen out the affair, should suspicion fall on him. The event of the evening naturally, however, became the subject of conversation, and Digby felt conscious that he was blushing, while he dared not meet the eye of any one present. He eat away perseveringly at his breakfast, and bolted so hot a cup of tea, that he scalded his mouth, and was about to make his escape, when his father"s eye fell on him. Digby knew it, though he did not dare to look up, and Mr Heathcote felt very nearly certain that the culprit was his own son. Had he doubted it much, he would have asked him, in joke, if he could tell how the affair happened; but he was silent, and felt sad and annoyed. He was sorry to suppose that Digby had been guilty of so foolish and really wicked an act, and his pride too, of which he had a good deal, was hurt at the thought of having, in accordance with his word, publicly to punish him.
All doubts were at an end when, in a short time, Mr Bowdler appeared, mentioned what he had ascertained, and firmly recommended the course he thought ought to be pursued.
"You are right," answered Mr Heathcote, "but he is such a child--it seems to me but the other day that he was a baby. Let me see, how old is he? Ah, to be sure, I went to school at an earlier age. Old or young, I am bound to punish him, however. Yet stay, we have no right to condemn him unheard."
Mr Heathcote rang the bell, and ordered the servant to send in Master Digby to him. He felt very like that Roman father we read about, who condemned his own son to death.
"Digby," said Mr Heathcote, when his son and heir stood before him, "did you take the linch-pins out of the carriages last night?"
Digby thought a moment.
"No, I did not," he answered firmly.
"Do you know anything about the matter," said Mr Heathcote, somewhat astonished but firmly believing the a.s.sertion. Oh what a blessed thing is that perfect confidence in the honour and truthfulness of those connected with us.
"Do you say that I must answer that question, papa?" said Digby.
"I do not wish to force you to say anything," remarked Mr Heathcote, "but I do wish to ascertain how the circ.u.mstance occurred."
Digby thought for some time, while his father sat looking at him.
"I should like to know how you intend to punish the person who committed the mischief," he said at last.
"If you had done it, I should probably have flogged you, and have sent you off to school, as soon as I could find a suitable one. That would have been a lenient punishment for you. A poor boy would be flogged and sent to the house of correction."
"Then you must send me to school, papa, though I should be glad if you would omit the flogging," replied Digby, frankly. "I will not say who played the trick; but, as I see somebody ought to be punished, I"m ready to suffer, as I think I ought."
Mr Bowdler was very much interested in hearing this conversation, and certainly thought very much better of Digby than he had before been inclined to do. "There is a great deal in that boy which may bring forth good fruit, if it is properly developed," he said to himself. It made him very anxious that Digby should go to some school where the moral as well as intellectual qualities of the boys were attended to.
Mr Heathcote did not wish to press the matter further on his son. He was convinced that he was innocent of the act committed, and he had no doubt of the real delinquent. Still he was very unwilling to have to punish Julian, and he wished to pa.s.s the matter over, unless the boy was positively accused before him of the crime. Digby was told that he might go back to the schoolroom and prepare for Mr Crammer.
Mr Bowdler had heard Mr Nugent, Mrs Heathcote"s brother, very highly spoken of, and he recommended that Digby should be placed under him till a good school could be found.
Mr Heathcote liked the notion. He could not bear the idea of having Digby far separated from him. Not that he saw much of the boy, but he liked to feel and know that he was near him. He fancied that he was getting on very well with Mr Crammer, and, now that so excellent a governess had come to instruct him, he thought that his education would be well provided for. He promised Mr Bowdler, therefore, that he would ride over to Osberton and get his brother-in-law to take charge of Digby.
Mr Bowdler, on his part, undertook to make inquiries for a good school for the boy.
"I will send young Julian home," said Mr Heathcote. "I see no particular harm in him. He seems a quiet, inoffensive lad; but, as you think it advisable, it will be a good excuse for separating the two."
"Yes, a very good excuse," said Mr Bowdler.
Julian had been with Digby when the footman summoned him into his father"s presence. He waited anxiously for his return.
"You"ve not peached, I hope, Digby?" said he.
"No, indeed," answered Digby, rather proudly. "I wasn"t going to tell a story, either. Your name wasn"t mentioned, so you need not be afraid."
"That"s jolly," exclaimed Julian, brightening up. "I was afraid that you would be letting the cat out of the bag."
"I don"t know exactly what that means," answered Digby; "I said that if some one was to be punished I was ready to suffer, and so I"m to be sent off to school, and that"s not very pleasant, let me tell you. Not that I mind the idea of school. It may be a very good sort of place; but I don"t like to have to leave so many pleasant things behind me. What will my poor dear old dog Tomboy do without me? And there"s my pretty pony Juniper, which papa only bought last spring for me, and which I"ve taught to know me and follow me about the field like a dog. How many pleasant rides I expected to have on him; and he will have forgotten all about me when I come back. Then I was to have gone out shooting with John Pratt in September; and I"m pretty certain papa would have got me a small gun, for I know he would like to see me a good shot; he"s a first-rate one himself. John says he"ll back me up to kill a brace of partridges within a week after I get my gun; but all that"s come to an end. Then we were to have had such capital fishing. John has been getting my tackle ready for me, and has made me a prime rod, much better than can be bought in the shops. Trap and ball, and hoops, and cricket, and marbles--not that I ever can endure marbles--and rounders, and prisoner"s base, and all those sort of games, can be had at school even better than at home, with the fellows one may pick up; so that won"t make any difference. But, as far as I can make out, they don"t let one go out birds"-nesting, or ferreting, or cross-bow shooting, or badger hunting, or any of those sort of things which John Pratt is up to.
Schools must be very slow places, that"s my opinion. I don"t suppose we might even blow up a wasps" nest, if we were to find one. If John Pratt might go and live near, and take me out every day, and have some fun or other, I shouldn"t mind it. Then, you see, I don"t like leaving Kate and little Gusty. What Kate will do without me I do not know at all. I hope Miss Apsley will treat her kindly; if he don"t I"ll--" and Digby looked very fierce, but said nothing more.
"If you don"t like school, all you"ve to do is to run away," said Julian, ever ready to offer evil counsel. "That"s what I would do, I know; or, if you don"t like the idea of going there, run away before.
Send to me, and I"ll help you; I"m always ready to help a friend in need."
"Thank you," said Digby; "oh, I know you would be, but I promised my father that I would go willingly if he wished to send me; so go I must."