"I could tell a lie about it, but I won"t do that," sobbed Mrs. Taylor.
"If you can only get the case put off for a few days, or a week, I hope--I may be able--that is, I may be able to explain how I came by that bill."
"We must give some reason for desiring a postponement," replied the lawyer. "Can you really say, Mrs. Taylor, that you expect to obtain more testimony?"
"I hope to obtain it."
"Very well. Then I think we can have the case put off till, say, next Tuesday."
"I will try to have matters explained by that time; but I am to be taken up and sent to jail."
"O, no," laughed the squire. "You may be arrested; but that will amount to nothing. Your husband can give bail for you, for it appears that this house belongs to him now, since the mortgage is cancelled."
"I won"t go bail for her," said Ezekiel, sourly; and this was the first time he appeared to be of the slightest consequence.
"Won"t you?"
"No, I won"t. She has kept money hid away from me."
"Never mind, mother. We shall get bail enough to keep a coaster afloat,"
interposed Bobtail. "If we can"t do any better, I"ll send for Colonel Montague. He told me, if I ever wanted a friend, to send for him."
"Certainly he will help you, after what you have done to-day," smiled the lawyer.
"But I don"t want to have you to go away up to Belfast for him," said Mrs. Taylor, who appeared now to be more troubled than ever.
"I don"t think we need to do so, mother. Mr. Walker and two or three other gentlemen said they would bail me out; and so I don"t believe we shall sink," laughed Little Bobtail.
"Now, Mr. Brooks, I don"t think you need take the boy away from his friends. I am sure he won"t run away," added the squire.
"I am satisfied. Though this is the oddest case I have had anything to do with for a long time. I am inclined to think Bobtail will come out right, though for the life of me I can"t see how," added the deputy sheriff.
"I"ll trust Bobtail anywhere. He goes to our Sunday school, and I know he is an honest boy, however bad his case may look just now," continued Mr. Simonton.
Mr. Brooks was entirely willing to trust the lion of the day out of his custody; and he left the cottage with the lawyer.
"I s"pose I ain"t o" no account here," said Ezekiel, as the door closed behind the departing gentlemen.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Mrs. Taylor.
"I wan"t to know sunthin" about this business. I s"pose I ain"t the head of this family."
"I don"t think you are," replied the wife. "You haven"t done much for it the last seven years."
"You bring that boy of yourn up to steal. If he"ll take my property, he"ll take other folks" property."
"It"s no use to talk any more about that matter," said Mrs. Taylor, impatiently.
"I believe the boy stole the letter and took the money out on"t,"
muttered Ezekiel.
"A little while ago you believed I had money hid away, and took the five hundred dollars from that."
"It was one way or t"other, and one ain"t no wus "n t"other. I hain"t been consulted in this business at all."
"You refused to be bail for me, and that"s enough for one day," answered Mrs. Taylor.
"I ain"t a goin" to resk my property for a woman that keeps money hid away from me, and won"t tell no thin" about this business."
"Your property would have been all taken away from you long ago if I hadn"t paid the interest, and paid the mortgage, too."
"But where did you get the money to pay the mortgage with?"
"That will all be explained in due time."
Ezekiel went over the same ground again and again. He was angry, and finally left the house. He felt that he was an abused man, because he was ignored. He objected to giving bail for his wife simply to increase his own importance, and a little importunity would have won his consent. He was vexed because he had not even been asked a second time to yield the point.
"Now, mother, we are alone," said Bobtail. "Can"t you tell me where you got that bill?"
"I can"t tell anybody, Robert," replied his mother. "I am sure that all will be explained in time."
"The case looks bad against me, mother."
"I know it does;" and the tears began to flow from her eyes again.
"I don"t like to be accused of stealing, and have it proved, as it seems to be in this case. I don"t blame anybody for thinking I"m guilty, when the very bill that was in the letter was handed to the squire by you, and you won"t tell where you got it. I shall be sent to the state prison for two or three years."
"O, Robert, I shall be crazy! Do you think I stole the bill?"
"No, mother; nothing of that kind. I know you wouldn"t steal. You know I didn"t give you that bill, and you are the only one that does know it positively. I wonder that Squire Simonton don"t give me the cold shoulder, though he is my Sunday school teacher. I can"t see what difference it would make if you should tell where you got the bill."
"I can"t say a word about it. I will try to have the whole matter explained before Tuesday," said the poor woman, troubled as she had never been troubled before.
"I think I shall call on Colonel Montague, if I get a chance. He told me I should hear from him again," said Bobtail, as he put on his cap, for he intended to sleep on board of the Skylark.
"I wouldn"t bother him with the matter, Robert."
"Why not? He told me to send for him if I ever wanted a friend; and I want one now, if ever I did."
"It will look as though you wanted to make too much of what you did for him to-day."
"I don"t think so, mother. He is a great man, and has influence. If I can get a chance to run up to Belfast in the Skylark, I will do so."
"Don"t tell him that I sent you, Robert," said Mrs. Taylor, actually trembling with emotion.
"Of course I won"t; but I don"t see why you are so particular about not calling on him. I know he would be glad to help me."
Mrs. Taylor made no reply, and her son, bidding her good night, left the house. He went on board of the Skylark, and after he had told the Darwinian the whole story of his misfortune, he turned in. He did not sleep as well as usual. He could not help thinking half the night of his troubles. They worried him, and he wondered if people were ever really punished for crimes they did not commit.
Ezekiel Taylor left the cottage hardly less disturbed than his wife was.