Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (buy e reader .TXT) 📕

Put His Signature To His Evidence,  Which The Clerk Had Taken Down,  And

Affixed A Cross.

"Can't You Write?" Asked The Coroner.

Pike Shook His Head Negatively. "Never Learnt," He Curtly Said. And

Percival Believed That To Be An Untruth Equally With The Other. He Could

Not Help Thinking That The Avowal Of Their Immediate Return Might Also Be

False: It Was Just As Possible That One Or Other,  Or Both,  Had Followed

The Course Of The Boat.

Mr. Carteret Was Examined. He Could Tell No More Than He Had Already

Told. They Started Together,  But He Had Soon Got Beyond His Lordship,

And Had Never Seen Him Again Alive. There Was Nothing More To Be Gleaned

Or Gathered. Not The Smallest Suspicion Of Foul Play,  Or Of Its Being

Anything But A Most Unfortunate Accident,  Was Entertained For A Moment By

Any One Who Heard The Evidence,  And The Verdict Of The Jury Was To That

Effect: Accidental Death.

As The Crowd Pressed Out Of The Inquest-Room,  Jostling One Another In The

Gloom Of The Evening,  And Went Their Several Ways,  Lord Hartledon Found

Himself Close To Gorton,  His Coat Flapping As He Walked. The Man Was

Looking Round For Pike: But Mr. Pike,  The Instant His Forced Evidence Was

Given,  Had Slunk Away From The Gaze Of His Fellow-Men To Ensconce Himself

In His Solitary Shed. To All Appearance Lord Hartledon Had Overtaken

Gorton By Accident: The Man Turned Aside In Obedience To A Signal,  And

Halted. They Could Not See Much Of Each Other's Faces In The Twilight.

"I Wish To Ask You A Question," Said Percival In Low,  Impressive,  And Not

Unkindly Tones. "Did You Speak With My Brother,  Lord Hartledon,  At All On

Tuesday?"

"No,  My Lord,  I Did Not," Was The Ready Answer. "I Was Trying To Get To

See His Lordship,  But Did Not."

"What Did You Want With Him? What Brought You Back To Calne?"

"I Wanted To Get From Him A Guarantee For--For What Your Lordship Knows

Of; Which He Had Omitted To Give,  And I Had Not Thought To Ask For,"

Civilly Replied The Man. "I Was Looking About For His Lordship On The

Tuesday Morning,  But Did Not Get To See Him. In The Afternoon,  When The

Boat-Race Was Over,  I Made Bold To Call At Hartledon,  But The Servants

Said His Lordship Wasn't In. As I Came Away,  I Saw Him,  As I Thought,

Pass The Lodge And Go Up The Road,  And I Cut After Him,  But Couldn't

Overtake Him,  And At Last Lost Sight Of Him. I Struck Into A Tangled Sort

Of Pathway Through The Gorse,  Or Whatever It's Called Down Here,  And It

Brought Me Out Near The River. His Lordship Was Just Sculling Down,  And

Then I Knew It Was Some One Else Had Gone By The Lodge,  And Not Him.

Perhaps It Was Your Lordship?"

"You Knew It Was Lord Hartledon In The Boat? I Mean,  You Recognized Him?

You Did Not Mistake Him For Me?"

"I Knew Him,  My Lord. If I'd Been A Bit Nearer The Lodge,  I Shouldn't

Have Been Likely To Mistake Even Your Lordship For Him."

Lord Hartledon Was Gazing Into The Man's Face Still; Never Once Had His

Eyes Been Removed From It.

"You Did Not See Lord Hartledon Later?"

"I Never Saw Him All Day But That Once When He Passed In The Skiff."

"You Did Not Follow Him,  Then?"

"Of What Use?" Debated The Man. "I Couldn't Call Out My Business From The

Banks,  And Didn't Know His Lordship Was Going To Land Lower Down. I Went

Straight Back To Calne,  My Lord,  Walking With That Man Pike--Who Is A Rum

Fellow,  And Has A History Behind Him,  Unless I'm Mistaken; But It's No

Business Of Mine. I Made My Mind Up To Another Night Of It In Calne,

Thinking I'd Get To Hartledon Early Next Morning Before His Lordship Had

Time To Go Out; And I Was Sitting Comfortably With A Pipe And A Glass Of

Beer,  When News Came Of The Accident."

Lord Hartledon Believed The Man To Be Telling The Truth; And A

Weight--The Source Of Which He Did Not Stay To Analyse--Was Lifted From

His Mind. But He Asked Another Question.

"Why Are You Still In Calne?"

"I Waited For Orders. After His Lordship Died I Couldn't Go Away Without

Them--Carrying With Me Nothing But The Word Of A Dead Man. The Orders

Came This Morning,  Safe Enough; But I Had The Summons Served On Me Then

To Attend The Inquest,  And Had To Stay For It. I'm Going Away Now,  My

Lord,  By The First Train."

Lord Hartledon Was Satisfied,  And Nodded His Head. As He Turned Back He

Met Dr. Ashton.

"I Was Looking For You,  Lord Hartledon. If You Require Any Assistance Or

Information In The Various Arrangements That Now Devolve Upon You,  I

Shall Be Happy To Render Both. There Will Be A Good Deal To Do One Way Or

Another; More,  I Dare Say,  Than Your Inexperience Has The Least Idea Of.

You Will Have Your Solicitor At Hand,  Of Course; But If You Want Me,  You

Know Where To Find Me."

The Rector's Words Were Courteous,  But The Tone Was Not Warm,  And The

Title "Lord Hartledon" Grated On Val's Ear. In His Impulse He Grasped The

Speaker's Hand,  Pouring Forth A Heartfelt Prayer.

"Oh,  Dr. Ashton,  Will You Not Forgive Me? The Horrible Trouble I Brought

Upon Myself Is Over Now. I Don't Rejoice In It Under The Circumstances,

Heaven Knows; I Only Speak Of The Fact. Let Me Come To Your House Again!

Forgive Me For The Past."

"In One Sense The Trouble Is Over,  Because The Debts That Were A

Formidable Embarrassment To Mr. Elster Are As Nothing To Lord Hartledon,"

Was The Reply. "But Let Me Assure You Of One Thing: That Your Being Lord

Hartledon Will Not Make The Slightest Difference To My Decision Not To

Give You My Daughter,  Unless Your Line Of Conduct Shall Change."

"It Is Changed. Dr. Ashton,  On My Word Of Honour,  I Will Never Be Guilty

Of Carelessness Again. One Thing Will Be My Safeguard,  Though All Else

Should Fail--The Fact That I Passed My Word For This To My Dear Brother

Not Many Hours Before His Death. For My Sake,  For Anne's Sake,  You Will

Forgive Me!"

Was It Possible To Resist The Persuasive Tones,  The Earnestness Of The

Honest,  Dark-Blue Eyes? If Ever Percival Elster Was To Make An Effort For

Good,  And Succeed,  It Must Be Now. The Doctor Knew It; And He Knew That

Anne's Happiness Was At Stake. But He Did Not Thaw Immediately.

"You Know,  Lord Hartledon--"

"Call Me Val,  As You Used To Do," Came The Pleading Interruption; And Dr.

Ashton Smiled In Spite Of Himself.

"Percival,  You Know It Is Against My Nature To Be Harsh Or Unforgiving;

Just As I Believe It Contrary To Your Nature To Be Guilty Of Deliberate

Wrong. If You Will Only Be True To Yourself,  I Would Rather Have You For

My Son-In-Law Than Any Other Man In England; As I Would Have Had When You

Were Val Elster. Do You Note My Words? _True To Yourself_."

"As I Will Be From Henceforth," Whispered Val,  Earnest Tears Rising To

His Eyes.

And As He Would Have Been But For His Besetting Sin.

It Happened That Clerk Gum Had Business On Hand The Day Of The Inquest,

Which Obliged Him To Go To Garchester. He Reached Home After Dark; And

The First Thing He Saw Was His Wife,  In What He Was Pleased To Call A

State Of Semi-Idiocy. The Tea-Things Were Laid On The Table,  And

Substantial Refreshment In The Shape Of Cold Meat,  And A Plate Of Muffins

Ready For Toasting,  All For The Clerk's Regalement. But Mrs. Gum Herself

Sat On A Low Chair By The Fire,  Her Eyes Swollen With Crying.

"What's The Matter Now?" Was The Clerk's First Question.

"Oh,  Gum,  I Told You You Ought Not To Have Gone Off To-Day. You Might

Have Stayed For The Inquest."

"Much Good I Should Do The Inquest,  Or The Inquest Do Me," Retorted The

Clerk. "Has Becky Gone?"

"Long Ago. Gum,  That Dream's Coming Round. I Said It Would. I _Told_ You

There Was Ill In Store For Lord Hartledon; And That Pike Was Mixed Up In

It,  And Mr. Elster Also In Some Way. If You'd Only Listen To Me--"

The Clerk,  Who Had Been Brushing His Hat And Shaking The Dust From His

Outer Coat--For He Was A Careful Man With His Clothes,  And Always

Well-Dressed--Brought Down His Hand Upon The Table With Some Temper.

"Just Stop That. I've Heard Enough Of That Dream,  And Of All Your Dreams.

Confounded Folly! Haven't I Trouble And Worry Enough Upon My Mind,

Without Your Worrying Me Every Time I Come In About Your Idiotic Dreams?"

"Well," Returned Mrs. Gum,  "If The Dream's Nothing,  I'd Like To Ask Why

They Had Pike Up To-Day Before Them All?"

"Who Had Him Up?" Asked The Clerk,  After A Pause. "Had Him Up Where?"

"Before The People Sitting On The Body Of Lord Hartledon. Lydia Jones

Brought Me The News Just Now. 'They Had Pike The Poacher Up,' Says She.

'He Was Up Before The Jury,  And Had To Confess To It.' 'Confess To What,'

Said I. 'Why,  That He Was About In The Woods When My Lord Met His End,'

Said She; 'And It's To Know How My Lord Did Meet It,  And Whether The

Poacher Mightn't Have Dealt That Blow On His Temple And Robbed Him After

It.' Gum--"

"There's No Suspicion Of Foul Play,  Is There?" Interrupted The Clerk,  In

Strangely Subdued Tones.

"Not That I Know Of,  Except In Lydia's Temper," Answered Mrs. Gum. "But

I Don't Like To Hear He Was Up There At All."

"Lydia Jones Is A Foul-Tongued Woman,  Capable Of Swearing Away Any Man's

Life. Is Pike In Custody?"

"Not Yet. They've Let Him Off For The Present. Oh,  Gum,  Often And Often

Do I Wish My Days Were Ended!"

"Often And Often Do I Wish I'd A Quiet House To Come To,  And Not Be

Bothered With Dreams," Was The Scornful Retort. "Suppose You Toast The

Muffins."

She Gave A Sigh Or Two,  Put Her Cap Straight,  Smoothed Her Ragged Hair,

And Meekly Rose To Obey. The Clerk Was Carefully Folding Up The Outer

Coat,  For It Was One He Wore Only On High-Days,  When He Felt Something In

The Pocket--A Small Parcel.

"I'd Almost Forgotten This," He Exclaimed,  Taking It Out. "Thanks To You,

Nance! What With Your Dreams And Other Worryings I Can't Think Of My

Proper Business."

"What Is It?" She Asked.

"A Deed Dr. Ashton's Lawyer Got Me To Bring And Save His Clerk A

Journey--If You Must Know. I'll Take It Over At Once,  While The Tea's

Brewing."

As Jabez Gum Passed Through His Own Gate He Looked Towards Mr. Pike's

Dwelling; It Was Only Natural He Should Do So After The Recent

Conversation; And He Saw That Worthy Gentleman Come Stealing Across The

Waste Ground,  With His Usual Cautious Step. Although Not Given To

Exchanging Courtesies With His Neighbour,  The Clerk Walked Briskly

Towards Him Now,  And Waited At The Hurdles Which Divided The Waste Ground

From The Road.

"I Hear You Were Prowling About The Mill When Lord Hartledon Met With His

Accident," Began The Clerk,  In Low,  Condemning Tones.

"And What If I Was," Asked Pike,  Leaning His Arms On The Hurdles And

Facing The Clerk. "Near The Mill I Wasn't; About The Woods And River I

Was; And I Saw Him Pass Down In The Sculling Boat With His Disabled Arm.

What Of It,  I Ask?"

Pike's Tone,  Though Short,  Was Civil Enough. The Forced Appearance Before

The Coroner And Public Had Disturbed His Equanimity In No Slight Degree,

And Taken For The Present All Insolence Out Of Him.

"Should Any Doubt Get Afloat That His Lordship's Death Might Not Have

Been Accidental,  Your Presence At The Spot Would Tell Against You."

"No,  It Wouldn't. I Left The Spot Before The Accident Could Have

Happened; And I Came Back To Calne With