"The brother and sister were horror-struck, on entering the room the next morning, to find that _their father_ had been murdered instead of the stranger, and that the stranger had escaped, and was probably then giving information to the authorities. Their first thought was self-preservation. Circ.u.mstances favoured the guilty pair. The stranger had evidently touched the murdered man, and had blood about his hands--for there were stains on the window-frame--and he had worn away the murdered man"s hat, and left his own behind; and it was with _his stick_ that the murder had been committed. Here was circ.u.mstantial evidence enough; so the guilty pair lost no time in rousing the nearest neighbours and constables; and information was given to the magistrates by the brother and sister, accusing the stranger of the murder, which appeared on the face of it very plausible; for the accused man"s stick and hat were found in the bedroom, and the name "Morley" was written inside the hat. The stick was covered with blood, and the sharp knots corresponded with the marks in the murdered man"s head. The stick was easily identified. The murdered man"s hat was missing too. But what motive could such a man as Mr. Morley have had for committing such a crime?" The woman said he might have been tipsy, and lost his way in the snow, and finding the window so near the gate, and so easy to enter, he had perhaps gone in, and a struggle might have taken place between him and her father, who slept in that room. There was money in that room too, she said; but it was not believed that Mr. Morley would murder anyone for the sake of money. No one wished to believe him guilty; but what could they do in the face of this circ.u.mstantial evidence? There were his hat and stick, which he admitted at once were his--his name was in the hat--and the stick was covered with blood. He was easily traced in the snow, and when overtaken he was walking like a maniac. His hands were b.l.o.o.d.y and so were his clothes; and he had the murdered man"s hat on his head.
"The sister told the tale before the magistrates very plausibly. It might have been done in self-defence, she said. He might have got in at the window, perhaps, for shelter; but why not have come round to the door, and why did he not alarm the house, instead of going off in that unaccountable way.
"He told his own tale, and concluded by saying that he had a considerable sum of money about him, which he had lost or was robbed of.
No money was found, however.
"His tale did not appear plausible. The woman founded her belief that he was tipsy, she said, on the fact of his having come so much out of his way, if he was really only going from Bristol to Ashley Hall. He was a comparative stranger in England, and very few knew him except in the way of business.
"The circ.u.mstantial evidence was so strong that the magistrates could do no other than commit him to the county gaol to await his trial for murder at the next a.s.sizes.
"The a.s.sizes came, but there was no evidence against Mr. Morley, and he was acquitted.
"The brother and sister had found the bag of money, no doubt, which he had dropped in his agitation, and had absconded no one knew where. They were afraid of the close cross-examination to which they would be exposed, and under which their evidence must have broken down.
"Mr. Morley returned to India immediately, leaving his two children in their aunt"s care. It was a severe shock, from which he never recovered. He felt that although he was innocent, yet the stigma of his having been committed to prison on a charge of murder would still hang over his family, until it could be properly cleared up by the conviction or confession of the real murderer. He died soon after his return to India; and on his death-bed he enjoined his children to make every search in their power after those wicked people, who had so cruelly murdered their own father and thrown the guilt upon him."
"Can you wonder, now, ladies, that my friend should feel low-spirited sometimes?"
"It is indeed a dreadful tale," said Miss Pendray. "I wonder what became of the guilty parties?"
"It is that which is preying on Morley"s spirits," replied Mr. Fowler; "he has searched and enquired everywhere--at home and abroad--but as yet to no purpose. They have, no doubt, taken feigned names; but they will be found out one day, I have not the slightest doubt."
"Now let us change the subject, and speak of the living," said the squire. "What has become of young Morley, I wonder?"
"I shall have a search for him to-morrow morning," said the lieutenant.
"I fancy he is gone to St. Just, for he is anxious about his brother, who was expected from India about this time, having ama.s.sed a large fortune, besides what his father left, which he was about to divide between the three children, according to his father"s will. The wreck of the Indiaman, the other day, has upset him rather; for he has an idea that his brother might have been one of the pa.s.sengers."
"Poor young man!" said Mrs. Pendray; "how many troubles he has had to bear, for one so young!"
CHAPTER VIII.
THE LAND"S-END CONJUROR.
Mr. Brown and his companion returned, after a three-hours" search, without having found the boy or learnt any tidings of him. The mare had eaten her warm mash, and Mrs. Brown had procured the a.s.sistance of Josiah Trenow to give her a good rub-down and make her comfortable, and he was having a gla.s.s of beer after his exertions, when Mr. Brown and his companion came in.
"Thank "ee, "Siah," said Mr. Brown; "I do b"lieve the mare ha"n"t had such a rub-down for a month. Look here"s a great strong arm, sir," he continued, taking Josiah by the arm, while he called the gentleman"s attention to it.
"I shouldn"t like to engage in single combat with him," replied Mr.
Morley, smiling, "if he is as strong as he looks."
"No fie! no fie!" said Mr. Brown. "Peggy! Peggy! Polly! Polly! Why the women are all run away after the boy, I s"pose. Peggy, my dear!"
"Well, landlord," said Josiah; "what news have "ee got about the boy?"
"Why no news," replied Mr. Brown, sitting down thoughtfully in his wife"s chair, a liberty he seldom took, unless he was "up in the clouds," as she called it. "Sit down, sir, if you please. Why, a good many people seed the boy and the mare go up, an" a fine pa.s.sle seed the mare come down again all of a rattle, without the boy, but n.o.body seed the boy thrawd, an" n.o.body have seen the boy since, so far as we can hear. Whisht, esn"t et, "Siah, boy?"
"Whisht! iss fie, "tes whisht enough," said Mrs. Brown, coming downstairs to hear the news too.
"That boy es so sure ill-wished as ever anybody wor in this world," said Josiah; "he"s in a queer por, an" ha" be"n so for a bra" bit."
"Why what are "ee tellen", "Siah," said Mr. Brown; "how shud "ee think so, boy?"
"Why for many things," replied Josiah; "the boy Bill wor took out of the workhouse, worn"t aw? and he ha"n"t growd since--not an inch, I do b"lieve. He can hardly reach to the mare"s shoulder, and yet he do keep that mare in good condition, with her summer"s coat up all the year round, like the squire"s hunter, and better too, I b"lieve. He"s mighty fond of going out by night, too. I"ve seed that boy, when I"ve been coming home from bal, two or three o"clock in the morning, going up by Chapel-Carnbrea by hisself, whistling."
"What! our boy Billy whistling that time o" night?" said Mrs. Brown; "dear lor"! I should think he"d be afeard of the pixies. And up there, too!"
The conversation was evidently getting too dismal for Mr. Morley, and he changed the subject by ordering a gla.s.s of brandy and water for himself, and one each for Mr. Brown and Josiah.
"Come, Polly," said Mr. Brown, as he went to get the brandies. "Polly!
Polly! pretty Polly!"
He got no a.s.sistance, however; for Polly was gone out on some errand for her mistress; and it really seemed as if he called the people about him more from habit than anything else, for, like him who called spirits from the vasty deep, poor Mr. Brown was not very much distressed or astonished if they didn"t come. While they were drinking their brandy and water, the conversation turned again on the marvellous; and Mr.
Brown said, "I wondar ef "twould be any good to ask "The Maister" about it."
"About what?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"Why about the mare, to be sure," replied her husband; "she"s ill-wished as much as ever the boy es. Something frightened her more than human, I"m sure;--what do you think, "Siah?"
"Well," said Josiah, "I never seed a beast tremble like that afore. I worked my arms off, purty nigh, afore she begun for to dry, an" then she dried up all of a rattle, an" snorted brave."
"I"ll go up now and ask "The Maister,"" said Mr. Brown; "the mare es ill-wished, I do b"lieve;"--so he drank up his brandy and water, and started at once.
It was not, even then, very late, and Mr. Freeman"s house was but just outside the village.
"The Maister" was at home, the maid said. What did Mr. Brown please to want.
"I do want to speak to him "pon private business," replied Mr. Brown.
So Alice Ann shewed him into the best parlour, and left him there in the dark, as she had orders to do to all visitors who came to "The Maister"
on private business.
Very soon he heard a rumbling noise in the room above, and then a clanking of chains; and then he heard a voice, as if coming from the floor of the room he was sitting in, telling him to beware of what he was doing,--to keep all things secret,--and to tell "The Maister" all; and then all would be well. All these mysterious sounds--coming sometimes from above, and sometimes from one part of the room he was in, and sometimes from another, when everything was shrouded in darkness--were calculated to strike terror into a stronger mind than poor Mr. Brown possessed; so that when Alice Ann came to the door and asked him to follow her upstairs, he was confirmed in his belief that "The Maister" was connected with "The Prince of Darkness," and was prepared to see hobgoblins and spirits dancing about as he entered the awful room.
Alice Ann knocked at the door three times, and at the third knock the door flew open, and Mr. Brown was pulled in by some invisible hand, and the door was closed again. He remained standing just inside, having a screen of thick black cloth hanging before him, to prevent his seeing what was in the room. He thought his last hour was come, and trembled until his knees knocked together, and his teeth chattered in his head.
At last, a voice from the furthest corner of the room said:--
"John Brown, your business is known, without your telling it--as most things are. Are you prepared to go through the ordeal necessary to free the mare from evil hands, and the boy from witchcraft?"
"Oh! ye-es, Maister," said the poor man, in a tremulous voice: "I"ll do anything. I do know that your power is great, and your knowledge is greater."
"Then down on thy knees, trembler, and do my bidding to the letter, or woe be unto thee! And listen to what is now to be spoken." And down flopped poor Mr. Brown on his knees, and awaited the ordeal, which he interrupted occasionally, by sundry interjections and parenthetical remarks of his own.
(_The Conjuror_) "You have a gentleman staying in your house?"