The Parson nodded.
"Last month. I was up on Beachy Head with the spy-gla.s.s, when I saw the _Kite_ beating up for Cuckmere Haven. So I ran down to Birling Gap thinking--thinking--" he coughed--"she might a--a--be bringing me a little present from France--a bit o bacca, or dallop o tea, or what not, ye know.... What ye say?"
He turned on the boy savagely.
"I didn"t say anything," replied Kit, astonished.
The Parson scowled.
"Well, as I swung round into the cutting I nearly ran into a chap on a chestnut--quite the Corinthian, with a bit o red riband stuck on his stomach. I brought up sharp on my heels.
""Well, my fine fellow," thinks I, "what you posing here for?--and why"s that mare in a lather?" But before I could say anything--
""Hullo!" says he, "I think I should know that nose."
""What ye mean?" says I, pretty sharp.
""Why," says he, "I once had the pleasure of pulling it."
"Then he laughed. And directly he laughed of course I knew.
"I put my hand upon my sword.
""And what you doing att.i.tudinising in _my_ land, my lord?" says I, the bristles at the back of my neck rising. "Play-acting your Caesar about to conquer Britain by the look o you!"
""Why, your Majesty," says he, "I"m out for a ride on _your_ land."
"I gave him a look.
""Shall we adjourn to the beach?" says I.
""Charmed," says he--"if I"m not too young."
"And he c.o.c.ked his leg over the mare"s withers, and slid down. "Now, old lady!" says he. "You know your own way." And he gave her a spank; and off she went with a make-believe kick at him, up the hillside and out of sight.
"We went down to the beach, and took our coats off."
The Parson"s eyes began to twinkle.
"Yes: the bully had met his match for once--and a bit more. After a very few minutes that was clear. "How d"you feel?" says he. "Why, right as rain," I panted. But I knew he had me. And I knew by the look in his eyes he knew it too. "True "tis pity," says he, running his eye over my shirt.
""Get on with it," I says, pretty gruff. "I must play p.u.s.s.y-cat with my fat mouse," says he. "Where"d you like it?" and I must say he was mighty courteous about it. Well, I was just going to tell him, when somebody banged me over the head from behind.... I fell on my face, and a mountain seemed to fall on top of me. "Shall I knife him, my lord?"
comes a voice like a girl"s. Then--"Get off, you dung! or I"ll make muck o you!"--"I ony thought, my lord--"--"Think, swine! _you_ think!" And smack--smack goes his sword! The mountain got off. The lord was kneeling by my side.
""I hope to the deuce you"re not hurt, sir," says he, very concerned.
"I got to my knees.
""Thanks to you, my lord, I"m not."
""It was Big Belly there," says he, helping me to my feet.... "These fellows don"t understand our ways."
""That"s the worst of dabbling in dirty water," says I.
""Ah, it"s not the water--it"s the fish you meet in it I mind," he says.
"He picked up my sword, and gave it me.
"I was trying to walk.
""Here, take my arm," says he. "You"ve had about two ton o bad man upset on top o you." And he walked me up and down that beach, tender as a lady--pon my soul he did.
"Just then I heard a holloa.
""No time to cut to waste, my lord," sings out someone. "We"ve a clear run now, but only knows how long we shall have."
"Then I saw the _Kite"s_ long-boat beached close by, and Diamond and a couple of his chaps standing by.
"The lord took me to a rock, and made me sit down.
"I wonder if you"ll excuse me," says he. "I"m due to dine with little Boney tonight at eight sharp, and I must be up to time. Truth is I"m not in the Little Corporal"s best books just now. He caught Josephine and me amusing ourselves in the rose-walk at Malmaison last week; and he wasn"t best pleased."
"And he took off his hat in his theatrical Frenchified way and went down to the boat.
"I sat on the rock, brushing my knees.
"Diamond shoved her off.
""Good-day, Parson," says he, grinning.
""So this is your smuggling, Diamond!" I roared, shaking my fist at him.
""Yes," says he, "I"m about as good a smuggler as you are Parson."
"That made me mad.
""I"m an Englishman anyway and not a blanky traitor!" I roared.
"Here"s something to remember me by!" and I s.n.a.t.c.hed the pistol out o my tail-pocket, and snapped it at him.
"The ball went through the full of his shirt.
""Ah," says he, mighty nasty, "I"ll drop a return card on you one o"
these days, Mr. Clergyman. And don"t you forget it."
"Then the lord stood up and waved.
""Thank you for a very pleasant afternoon, Mr. Joy," he called. "May I say _au revoir?_"