if elgert and dobson and the two juniors who had overheard that conversation in brown's cake-shop were the four most excited concerning the five-pound note which had been stolen from mr. delermain, they were not the only ones in marlthorpe college who were interested in the matter.
from first to last the whole school could do nothing but discuss the mysterious business; and, whatever else it did, the attempt to put the guilt upon ralph's shoulders resulted in his being all the more firmly established in the favour of most of the boys.
even those who had not liked him were more friendly now; for there was something so shameful and wicked in trying to get him accused of that which it had been proved he was innocent of, that they could not but feel sympathy for him. then the story of his brave deed in rescuing elgert was strongly in his favour. after all, boys at heart love bravery.
but of all there, warren and ralph himself pondered most. their friendship was quite restored, and together they talked and discussed, and wondered[pg 178] who it could possibly be who would want to harm ralph.
and poor charlton! ah, how miserable he was now! he had his own weight of sorrow, and it was very, very heavy to bear; and after what ralph had said he could never hope that they would be friends again.
"i suppose that i am to blame," he said. "perhaps i took things too much to heart. i feel that i am never to have friends. i—i don't care! rexworth might give me another chance; but if he won't—if he is so taken up with warren—he can do as he likes. i don't care!"
poor charlton! he did care, for all his talk—care very much. he was lonely and sad; but he did not stop to think that ralph had already given him chances, and that it was his own fault that he had not taken them. when we are miserable we are also apt to be unjust, and to put the blame for our own actions upon other people's shoulders.
and how interested and indignant, and yet withal delighted, were the st. clives when they heard of what had happened.
"a clean reputation is a good thing, you see, ralph," mr. st. clive said. "it is surely worth something to feel that people have such a high estimate of you as to realize that you are utterly incapable of doing a mean thing, even though appearances are so strong against you."
[pg 179]
"it is just splendid to think how you have come out of it, ralph!" was irene's delighted comment when the two young people were alone. "it is like when wicked people tried to injure the brave knights of old, and when truth and valour and true chivalry triumphed over all opposition. there is something, even here and now, to be gained when people know that you are fighting under honour's flag!"
and ralph had to acknowledge that she spoke the truth, and to own that he was now very glad that he had resisted the temptation to yield and to run away from his troubles.
that saturday holiday—the one after the business of the note being found in his pocket-book—was one of the happiest that he had spent since coming to stow ormond—a day when the clouds seemed to have lifted, when the sun seemed brighter, and when faith grew more strong. it came from the feeling that he had fought a good fight, and that he had been helped to be more than conqueror.
and yet he had forgotten nothing of his father. he was as anxious as ever to solve the mystery surrounding his disappearance; only now, instead of being impatient, he felt that he was preparing in the best way for seeking the truth by staying with mr. st. clive, and by working as hard as ever he could.
and on that same afternoon he walked with irene as far as the pretty old inn; and old simon, the [pg 180]landlord, greeted him with a cheery smile; for, indeed, simon felt a great interest in the lad, seeing that the first scene in his strange story was enacted beneath his roof.
"and how are you, young gentleman?" he asked. "and you, too, missie?"—as the two entered the yard. "come to pay a visit to old simon—eh?"
"i have come to talk to you, simon," answered ralph. no one ever called the landlord of the horse and wheel anything but simon. "i have come to ask you something."
"that's right, sir! ask away—though i don't promise to answer if it is a poser. i haven't had the education which you young people enjoy."
"it is nothing to do with education, simon," laughed ralph. "i want to ask you whether, now that you have had plenty of time to think of it—as i feel sure you must have thought—do you think that you have any recollection of ever having seen my father before? i feel certain that he knew the place; and if he knew it, perhaps you may be able to think of some one whom he reminds you of."
but simon shook his head at that question.
"i am afraid that i cannot answer that, sir. your father certainly did know the place; for when i told him the number of his room he walked right up to it without waiting to be shown. and, in some way, i seem to have a faint recollection of having[pg 181] seen him before; but it is all dim and hazy like, and it wouldn't do to go upon."
"thank you, simon. now the other question—and i want you to keep this to yourself; i have a particular reason for that. do you know any one in the neighbourhood who drives about in a light trap, and who has a horse lame in its left foreleg?"
"well," said the old man thoughtfully, "come to that, there are plenty of folk with light traps hereabout; and i know of two lame horses. old saxer, the carter, has one, and hopkin, the butcher, has one, and—why, yes, lord elgert himself has a pretty little mare lame in her left foreleg. she hurt herself in a hole, and, though she goes all right now, she has a bit of a limp. and, why, come to think of it, now i remember who your father put me in mind of."
"who—oh, who?" cried ralph eagerly; while irene looked on not less interested.
"who?" said the innkeeper. "why, of old lord stephen! he was lord elgert's uncle, and he died without leaving child of his own. he had one son, who died long, long ago. that is it, for certain! but what ails you, young sir?"
for ralph had gone quite white. he had never expected that answer. lord elgert had a lame horse! lord elgert was the nephew of some one whom his father had resembled! lord elgert had told that wicked story about his father; and lord elgert[pg 182] was so very anxious for him to go back to the plains, and leave england behind him for ever! surely it could not be! and yet, as ralph pondered, he seemed to call to mind a hundred things to strengthen his suspicions. it could not be that lord elgert knew anything about his father!
a very grave ralph walked home to lunch; and a very grave mr. st. clive listened to his story.
"i could wish that this had not been brought up, ralph," he said. "i fear that it will only unsettle you again; and, in spite of all that you advance, i cannot bring myself to believe that you are anything but mistaken. lord elgert may not be a pleasant man to deal with, but this is a very, very grave thing to even so much as hint at."
but whatever mr. st. clive might say, ralph could not get the thing out of his head. it is not to be wondered at that it should haunt him and make him feel excited. after waiting so long, this was like the first real tangible clue. and he had been thinking that it was poor charlton's father who must be at the bottom of it! poor charlton!
walking by himself, ralph pondered upon the fact that, after all, if any one had hinted to him what he had hinted to his chum he would have been just as hurt and indignant. and now that he was cleared it would be manly and nice to go and ask him to be friends again.
"he can hardly do anything if i don't give him[pg 183] the chance," he told himself. "i will do it as soon as i get back to school on monday."
his head full of the tracks of lame horses and light traps, he had taken his way across towards stow wood, the scene of that tragedy—for tragedy he believed there had surely been—and as he walked over the common he reflected that those marks had led away in the direction of great stow; and in great stow or just beyond it, lord elgert lived.
and then, as he walked along, his eyes thoughtfully fixed upon the ground, he stopped suddenly. surely things were going strangely to-day; for, coming on top of old simon's words, here was the track of the lame horse again!
"i will follow it this time," said ralph to himself.
and he set forward rapidly. there was plenty of both light and time this afternoon, and if the tracks led to hard roads he would go on and search beyond them.
but he did not have very far to go this time, though he gained but little for his trouble. the other side the common, and close to stow wood, he came upon the vehicle he had followed—a light trap, truly, and drawn by a pretty little mare; and with it were three men, one in the uniform of a constable and the others in ordinary dress.
"who does this trap belong to?"
the question was absurd, perhaps, but he blurted it out without thinking; and the men turned and[pg 184] regarded him with mingled surprise and amusement.
"and what has that to do with you, if you please?" said one—the one in uniform.
and what could he say? whatever the other two were, one was a constable; and surely a constable was sufficient evidence that he had followed a wrong trail!
"you seem to have a liking for asking questions, young gentleman," said one of the other men. "now, suppose that we ask you one? have you seen any one out here—any one that seemed as if they were trying to hide? we are looking for a prisoner of ours, who escaped some time back, and who, we believe, is hiding in this locality. have you seen any suspicious character about?"
detectives! a prisoner! it must be charlton's father! how glad he was that he could answer truly that he had seen no one! and the man who had put the question replied to him, when he had finished:
"thank you. now, as you have answered me, i will answer you; though i confess that i do not understand the reason for your question. the horse and trap belong to lord elgert. doubtless you have heard of him. he kindly lent them to us that we might be saved a long walk."
it was lord elgert's! and these men, in lord elgert's trap, were looking for poor charlton's father! ralph thanked the constables, letting them remain in ignorance as to the real reason for his question, and with slow and thoughtful steps turned into stow wood.
[pg 185]
he was bewildered, perplexed, stunned. it was lord elgert's trap! could lord elgert be the one who had harmed his father?
pondering deeply, he walked on, hardly noticing where he went, until suddenly a slight exclamation recalled his wandering senses. he looked up. he had penetrated into a little glade, and there before him stood two people—his chum charlton and a man! he had found the one for whom the police were searching so close at hand!
