Meantime, George and Susan and Tom rose to their feet in some astonishment.
"There is a chentleman coming to put a question or two," said the first speaker. And, in fact, an old acquaintance of ours, Mr. Williams, came riding up, and, hooking his horse to the gate, came in, saying, "Oh, here you are, Mr. Meadows. There is a ridiculous charge brought against you, but I am obliged to hear it before dismissing it. Give me a seat. Oh, here is a bench. It is very hot. I am informed that two men belonging to this place have been robbed of seven thousand pounds at the "King"s Head"--the "King"s Heads in Newborough."
"It is true, sir," cried Robinson, "but how did you know?"
"I am here to _ask_ questions," was the sharp answer. "Who are you?"
"Thomas Robinson."
"Which is George Fielding?"
"I am George Fielding, sir.
"Have you been robbed?"
"We have, sir."
"Of how much?"
"Seven thousand pounds."
"Come, that tallies with the old gentleman"s account. Hum! where did you sleep last night, Mr. Meadows?"
"At the "King"s Head" in Newborough, sir," replied Meadows, without any visible hesitation.
"Well, that is curious, but I need not say I don"t believe it is more than coincidence. Where is the old gentleman? Oh! give way there, and let him come here."
Now all this was inexplicable to Meadows, but still it brought a deadly chill of vague apprehension over him. He felt as if a huge gossamer net was closing round him. Another moment the only spider capable of spinning it stood in front of him. "I thought so," dropped from his lips as Isaac Levi and he stood once more face to face.
"I accuse that man of the theft. Nathan and I heard him tell Crawley that he had drugged the young man"s liquor and stolen the notes. Then we heard Crawley beg for the notes, and after much entreaty he gave them him."
"It is true!" cried Robinson, in violent agitation; "it must be true.
You know what a light sleeper I am, and how often you had to shake me this morning. I was hocussed and no mistake!"
"Silence!"
"Yes, your worship."
"Where were you, Mr. Levi, to hear all this?"
"In the east room of my house."
"And where was he?"
"In the west room of his house."
"It is impossible."
"Say not so, sir. I will show you it is true. Meantime I will explain it."
He explained his contrivance at full. Meadows hung his head; he saw how terribly the subtle Oriental had outwitted him; yet his presence of mind never for a moment deserted him.
"Sir," said he, "I have had the misfortune to offend Mr. Levi, and he is my sworn enemy. If you really mean to go into this ridiculous affair, allow me to bring witnesses, and I will prove to you he has been threatening vengeance against me these two years--and you know a lie is not much to a Jew. Does this appear likely? I am worth sixty thousand pounds--why should I steal?"
"Why, indeed?" said Mr. Williams. "I stole these notes to give them away--that is your story, is it?"
"Nay, you stole them to beggar your rival, whose letters to the maiden he loved you had intercepted by fraud at the post-office in Farnborough." Susan and George uttered an exclamation at the same moment. "But, having stole them, you gave them to Crawley."
"How generous!" sneered Meadows. "Well, when you find Crawley with seven thousand pounds, and he says I gave them him, Mr. Williams will take your word against mine, and not till then, I think."
"Certainly not--the most respectable man for miles round!"
"So be it," retorted Isaac, coolly; "Nathan, bring Crawley." At that unexpected word, Meadows looked round for a way to escape. The hooked-nosed ones hemmed him in. Crawley was brought out of the fly, quaking with fear.
"Sir," said Levi, "if in that man"s bosom, on the left-hand side, the missing notes are not found, let me suffer scorn; but, if they be found, give us justice on the evil-doer."
The constable searched Crawley amid the intense anxiety of all present.
He found a bundle of notes. There was a universal cry.
"Stop, sir!" said Robinson, "to make sure I will describe our property--seventy notes of one hundred pounds each. Numbers one five six naught to one six two nine."
Mr. Williams examined the bundle, and at once handed them over to Robinson, who shoved them hastily into George"s hands and danced for joy.
Mr. Williams looked ruefully at Meadows, then he hesitated; then, turning sharply to Crawley, he said, "Where did you get these?"
Meadows tried to catch his eye and prevail on him to say nothing; but Crawley, who had not heard Levi"s evidence, made sure of saving himself by means of Meadows" reputation.
"I had them from Mr. Meadows," he cried; "and what about it? it is not the first time he has trusted me with much larger sums than that."
"Oh! you had them from Mr. Meadows?"
"Yes, I had!"
"Mr. Meadows, I am sorry to say I must commit you; but I still hope you will clear yourself elsewhere."
"I have not the least uneasiness about that, sir, thank you. You will admit me to bail, of course?"
"Impossible! Wood, here is a warrant, I will sign it."
While the magistrate was signing the warrant, Meadows" head fell upon his breast; he seemed to collapse standing.
Isaac Levi eyed him scornfully. "You had no mercy on the old Jew. You took his house from him, not for your need but for hate. So he made that house a trap and caught you in your villainy."
"Yes! you have caught me," cried Meadows, "but you will never cage me!" and in a moment his pistol was at his own temple and he pulled the trigger--the cap failed; he pulled the other trigger, the other cap failed. He gave a yell like a wounded tiger, and stood at bay gnashing his teeth with rage and despair. Half a dozen men threw themselves upon him, and a struggle ensued that almost baffles description. He dragged those six men about up and down, some clinging to his legs, some to his body. He whirled nearly every one of them to the ground in turn; and, when by pulling at his legs they got him down, he fought like a badger on his back, seized two by the throat, and putting his feet under another drove him into the air doubled up like a ball, and he fell on Levi and sent the old man into Mr. Williams" arms, who sat down with a Jew in his lap, to the derangement of his magisterial dignity.
At last he was mastered, and his hands tied behind him with two handkerchiefs.
"Take the rascal to jail!" cried Williams, in a pa.s.sion. Meadows groaned. "Ay! take me," said he, "you can"t make me live there. I"ve lived respected all these years, and now I shall be called a felon. Take me where I may hide my head and die!" and the wretched man moved away with feeble steps, his strength and spirit crushed now his hands were tied.