"Stay, dear Sergeant Zeb, first pray go fetch me a ladder."
"Ladder, my lady?"
"How may I get back over the wall without it?"
The Sergeant turned and stared at the wall, shook his head and rubbed his chin:
"Question is, how did you get over, my lady?"
""Tis no matter! Go--go fetch the ladder, I must not be seen here--go this instant!" The Sergeant went.
Once out of eyeshot my lady sprang up, sped across the orchard, hurled the Ramillie coat over the wall into her own garden and was back in the arbour a full half-minute before the Sergeant re-appeared, ladder on shoulder.
"You dear Sergeant Zeb!" she exclaimed, rising and crossing the orchard beside him. "The bravest soldiers and strongest men are always the kindest and gentlest to women, aren"t they?"
"Are they, mam?" said the Sergeant flushing a little as he planted the ladder where she directed.
"To be sure they are," she sighed, gathering up her petticoats, "see how hard you kicked that hateful Jennings----"
"Shall I hold the ladder, my lady?" he enquired, flushing deeper.
"Thank you--no!" she answered and set a slender foot upon the lowest rung. "Sergeant Zebedee!"
"My lady?"
"Right about face!" The Sergeant turned automaton-like and stood so until a laughing voice cried, "Sergeant Zebedee--as you were!" And swinging round he beheld her smiling down at him from her own side of the wall. "Thank you, dear Sergeant Zeb, thank you!" she said, and nodding, vanished from sight.
The Sergeant, being orderly in all things, proceeded to set back the ladder in the tool-house, to dust his coat and re-settle his wig, then crossed to the arbour and stood there for a full minute staring at the empty bench.
"Zounds!" he exclaimed at last, and wheeling, marched very thoughtfully into the house.
"Eh--not there--not there, Zeb?" exclaimed the Major, laying down his cards and turning to glance at the Sergeant"s expressionless face.
"Your honour, it are--not!"
"But--G.o.d bless my soul--it must be!"
"Why then sir, if "tis it aren"t apparent to human observation!"
"But I distinctly remember taking it off there!"
"Why then sir, it hath gone and vanished itself away!"
"Pish!" exclaimed the Major rising. "I"ll fetch it myself."
"O rot me, Jack!" cried the Colonel, "here"s a curst rampageous business over an old rag. "Tis time "twas lost----"
"Or burned, nunky!" added the Viscount.
"So let be, Jack--Sergeant Zeb shall bring you another!"
But the Major was determined, and presently sallied forth with Sir Benjamin, the Viscount, Colonel Cleeve and the Sergeant at his heels.
Reaching the orchard, they searched the arbour within and without, they peered and prodded under bushes, they sought high and they sought low without avail.
"Very remarkable!" exclaimed the Major at last.
"Most extraordinary, od"s my life!" a.s.sented Sir Benjamin, mopping heated brow. "Are you sure you had it on, sir?"
"Belike some stray cur hath taken a fancy to it and run off wi" it!"
the Colonel suggested.
"Mistaking it for--er--something equally unpleasant, nunky!" added the Viscount.
""Tis not so much the loss of the coat itself that gives me worry as--er--the contents of the pockets!" said the Major, wrinkling his brow.
"What, your purse, sir?" enquired Sir Benjamin.
"Nay that--would scarce ha" mattered."
"Ya" snuff-box, Jack?"
"Letters, uncle?"
"No, no, not--exactly letters as "twere and yet--ah--O demme!" So the Major gave up the useless search. "Come, gentlemen--if "tis gone, "tis gone. Come, let us get back to our game."
CHAPTER XLVI
FURTHER INTIMATE ADVENTURES OF THE RAMILLIE COAT
"Aunt Belinda," said my lady, pausing on the broad stair with lighted candle, "pray how do you refrain?"
"From what, dear Betty?"
"Sneezing, aunt!"
"O naughty puss!"
"All the evening by my reckoning you have sneezed but once. Sure you must be getting snuff-proof or----"
"O wicked, teasing baggage!"
"Art very happy, dear aunt?"
"Ah my sweet, so happy that I yearn to have thee happy too!"
"In two days, aunt, two little days! Charles will wait no longer and--I"m glad."