He reached the first of the lighted windows, and peeped warily round its angle. This room, as I have said, was empty: but while he a.s.sured himself of this, the light rested on his face, and through the branches of the mock-orange bush I saw his features distinctly.
It was Sergeant Letcher.
He wore his red uniform and white pantaloons, but had slipped off his boots and--as I saw when he rapidly pa.s.sed the next two panels of light--was carrying them in his hand. Reaching the first of the open windows, he stood for a while in the shade beside it, listening; and then, to my astonishment, turned and stole back by the way he had come. I watched him till he disappeared in the darkness beyond the house-porch.
Meanwhile Miss Belcher had been calling to clear away the supper and set the tables for cards.
"Nonsense, Lydia!" Mr. Rogers objected. "It"s a good one-in-the-morning, and the company tired. Where"s the sense, too, of keeping the place ablaze on a night like this, with Gauger Rosewarne scouring the country, and the dragoons behind him, and all in the worst possible tempers?"
"My little Magistrate," Miss Belcher retorted, "there"s naught to hinder your trotting home to bed if you"re timorous. Jim"s on his way to the moor by this time with the rest of the horses: "twas at his starting the dogs gave tongue just now, and I"ll have to teach them better manners. As for the roan, if he"s hurt or Rosewarne happens on him, there"s evidence that I sold him to a gipsy three weeks back, at St. Germans fair. Here, Bathsheba, take the keys of my bureau upstairs; you"ll find some odd notes in the left-hand drawer by the fire-place. Bring Mr. Rogers down his ten pounds and let him go. We"ll not compromise a Justice of the Peace if we can help it."
"Don"t play the fool, Lydia," growled Mr. Rogers, and added ingenuously, "The fact is, I wanted a word with you alone."
"Oh, you scandalous man! And me tucked between the sheets!" she protested, while the company haw-haw"d. "You"ll have to put up with some more innocent amus.e.m.e.nt, my dear. There"s a badger somewhere round at the back, in a barrel: we"ll have him in with the dogs-- unless you prefer a quiet round with the cards."
"Oh, d.a.m.n the badger at this hour!" swore Mr. Rogers. "Cards are quiet at any rate. Here, Raby--Penrose--Tregaskis--which of you"ll cut in? Whitmore--you"ll take a hand, won"t you?"
"The Parson"s tired to-night, and with better excuse than you.
He"s ridden down from Plymouth."
"Hallo, Whitmore--what were you doing in Plymouth?"
Mr. Whitmore ignored the question. "I"m ready for a hand, Miss Belcher," he announced quietly: "only let it be something quiet--a rubber for choice."
"Half-guinea points?" asked somebody.
"Yes, if you will."
I heard them settle to cards, and their voices sink to a murmur.
Now and again a few coins clinked, and one of the guests yawned.
"You"re as melancholy as gib-cats," announced Miss Belcher.
"The next that yawns, I"ll send him out to fetch in that badger.
Tell us a story, somebody."
"I heard the beginning of a queer one," said Mr. Whitmore in his deliberate voice. "The folks were discussing it at Torpoint Ferry as I crossed. There"s, been a murder at Plymouth, either last night or this morning."
"A murder? Who"s the victim?"
"An old Jew, living on the Barbican or thereabouts. My deal, is it not?"
"What"s his name?"
"His name?" Mr. Whitmore seemed to be considering. "Wait a moment, or I shall misdeal." After a pause, he said, "A Spanish-sounding one--Rodriguez, I think. They were all full of it at the Ferry."
"What! Old Ike Rodriguez? Why, he was down in these parts buying up guineas the other day!" exclaimed Mr. Rogers.
"Was he?"
"Why, hang it all, Whitmore," said a guest, "you know he was!
More by token I pointed him out to you myself on Looe hill."
"Was that the man?"
"Of course it was. Don"t you remember admiring his face? It put you in mind of Caiaphas--those were your very words, and at the moment I didn"t clearly recollect who Caiaphas was. It can"t be three weeks since."
"Three weeks less two days," said Miss Belcher; "for he called here and bought fifteen off me: gave me twenty-four shillings and sixpence apiece for all but one, which he swore was light. Who"s murdered him?"
"There was talk of a boy," said Mr. Whitmore, still very deliberately. "At least, a boy was missing who had been seen in the house just previously, and they were watching the ferries for him.
Why, surely, Rogers, that"s a revoke!"
"A revoke?" stammered Mr. Rogers. "So it is--I beg your pardon, Tregaskis! d.a.m.n the cards! I"m too sleepy to tell one suit from another."
"That makes our game then, and the rubber. Rub and rub--shall we play the conqueror? No? As you please then. How do we stand?"
"We owe three guineas on points," growled a voice which, to judge by its sulkiness, belonged to Mr. Tregaskis.
"I"m a clumsy fool," Mr. Rogers again accused himself. "Here, Whitmore, give me change out of a note."
"With pleasure. It"s as good as a gift, though, with the cards you held," said Mr. Whitmore, and I heard the coins jingle in changing hands, when from the shrubbery, where the gravel sweep narrowed, there sounded the low hoot of an owl. Being town-bred and unused to owls, I took it for a human cry in the darkness and shrank closer against my mock-orange bush.
"Hallo, Whitmore, you"ve dropped a guinea. Here it is, by the table-leg. Take twenty-four shillings for it, now that old Rodriguez is gone?"
Mr. Whitmore thanked the speaker as the coin was restored to him.
"The room"s hot, as Mr. Rogers says, and I think I"ll step out for a mouthful of fresh air. Phe--ew!" he drew a long breath as he appeared at the window.
He strolled carelessly out beneath the verandah and stood for a moment by one of its pillars. And at that moment the owl"s cry sounded again, but more softly, from the shrubbery on my left.
I knew, then, that it came from no true bird. With a swift glance back into the room Mr. Whitmore stepped out upon the gravel and followed the sound, almost brushing the mock-orange bush as he pa.s.sed.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MOCK-ORANGE BUSH.
To my dismay, he halted but five paces from me.
"Is that you, Leicester?" he whispered.
"Sergeant Letcher, if you please," answered a quiet voice close by; "unless you wish to be called Pickthall."
"Not so loud--the windows are open. How on earth did you come here?
You"re not with the van to-night?"
"I came on a horse, and a lame one: one of your tub-carriers.
The captain saw me mount him, down at the cove, and sent me off to scour the country for evidence. I guessed pretty well in what direction he"d take me. But you"re a careless lot, I will say.
Look at this bit of rope."