if ever three boys were tired and wet and cold, ralph and his chums were when they once again arrived at mr. st. clive's; but for all that, they were three delighted boys, for they had succeeded in their mission, and mr. charlton was safe.
they found that the police had been and gone, and were none the wiser for their visit. mr. st. clive had received them readily, and told them that he certainly had employed an old gardener, but that the man had left his employ only a short time before they came, and that he could give them no information about him.
it was highly distasteful to an honourable gentleman like mr. st. clive even to say anything which, while strictly true, had yet the qualities of a lie, but in this case he was forced to do so. he could not give the poor man up to justice—a man whom he honestly believed to have been wrongly convicted—especially after having received him and sheltered him so long.
but when elgert and dobson heard that the search was unsuccessful, oh, how angry they were! they[pg 241] had come back with the constables, and mr. st. clive turned to them and spoke very sternly.
"so it appears that i am indebted to you two young gentlemen for this visit," he said. "first of all you trespass upon my grounds; then you take upon yourselves to give this information to the police; and now you have come back uninvited. kindly oblige me by taking yourselves off; and understand that if i find you on my grounds again, i shall not have the slightest hesitation in horsewhipping the pair of you!"
oh, what a rage elgert was in! to be spoken to like that! he, the honourable horace elgert!
he went home and told his father, and lord elgert rode over in a terrible passion to demand an explanation from mr. st. clive.
but that gentleman took things very calmly, and his lordship got little satisfaction from him.
"it is my belief, sir, that my son is correct, and that you have been harbouring a fugitive from justice!" shouted his lordship. "it is like you to do that. you have taken that young rascal, rexworth, in spite of the knowledge that his father is a man who attempted to rob me."
"pardon me, lord elgert," answered mr. st. clive, "i have tried to repay a debt of gratitude i owe to a brave boy, who rescued my child from death, at the peril of his own life, because you would not take the trouble to have your bull properly secured. as to the[pg 242] knowledge that his father tried to rob you, i know nothing of the kind."
"i have told you so. you have my word for it," replied lord elgert; and mr. st. clive answered drily—
"that is a very different thing from knowing it."
"you insult me, sir! you deliberately insult me! but be careful, or you shall answer for it. make no mistake, you shall answer for it!" and with that, his lordship rode off in a towering rage.
mr. st. clive did not trouble to tell ralph all the unkind things which lord elgert had said, for there was nothing to be gained by causing the boy pain; and so, after giving them all hot cocoa, warren and charlton were sent off to their homes, and ralph was glad to get to bed, for he was quite tired out.
and then, after one of those quiet sundays which he had got to value so much, he set off for school on the monday morning, calling for charlton, and meeting with warren on the way.
"well, rexworth, and how do you feel to-day?"
now, if warren or charlton had asked that question, there would have been nothing strange in it; but it was neither of the boys. it was mr. delermain, when the class was assembled; and ralph, although he felt surprised, answered that he felt very well.
"ah!" said the master, and he smiled. "well, i am glad of that, for to-day you have to uphold the honour of the fourth. you will not take your place[pg 243] for lessons as usual. the examination for the newlet is to-day. you are to go to the head's class-room immediately after prayers."
"good luck to you, rexworth," whispered charlton, looking quite nervous; and tom warren patted him on the shoulder and added imploringly—
"now, mind you keep cool, ralph—keep quite cool. don't get flustered if you cannot answer every question, and don't spend too much time over the easy ones. answer them first, as briefly as you can, and then go for the others. keep cool, old fellow, for the honour of the fourth."
certainly ralph did feel just a trifle anxious and nervous; but he had worked hard, and felt pretty well grounded in his subjects, and he meant to do his best honestly.
so when prayers were over, he rose and went out of the class-room, while the boys, thinking that the occasion admitted of it, cried out aloud: "good luck to you, rexworth! hope that you will succeed!"
"jolly lot of fuss they make about that chap," sneered dobson to the boy next him. "it is just a disgrace to let such a fellow as that sit for the newlet."
"especially when a bright, intellectual fellow like dobson does not go in for it!" was the answer he received; and dobson glowered and muttered something about his "cheek."
somehow, charlton could not get on as he ought[pg 244] to have done that morning. he was so anxious about ralph, and he was so full of his father, and wondering whether he was all safe. mr. delermain had to rebuke him once or twice—he did not understand things like warren did—and poor charlton lost his place and got a bad mark; and somehow he could not help it, the tears would come into his eyes. dobson saw it, and grinned. he sniffed, and drew his handkerchief out, pretending to wipe away tears and wring the water out on the floor. mr. delermain saw him, and dobson got something to cry for. six handers, and a bad mark. dobson vowed to make charlton suffer for it, as if it were his fault that he had been caned.
and he had his chance when recess came.
"hallo, elgert!" cried dobson, as he saw his friend. "i say, i want to ask you a question. who was the first gardener?"—and he winked towards charlton, who was standing near.
"adam," was elgert's reply; and dobson nodded.
"quite right; and who was the very last one that we know anything about, eh?"
"a fellow named charlton, some relation to one of your form, i think. quite a public personage, and eagerly sought after by the police."
poor charlton! his face went white, and his eyes sparkled with anger. dobson saw it, and laughed mockingly. charlton was a weakly boy, and the bully was by no means afraid of him.
[pg 245]
"funny how some people have queer tastes," he went on. "i should have thought that breaking stones was no harder work than digging. by the way, it is breaking stones that they put convicts to, is it not?"
"you say that to insult me?"
charlton spoke in low tones, and his face was very white; and dobson laughed again.
"oh, i say, you chaps, is not this a rich joke? here is charlton asking if we mean to insult him! my dear fellow, your presence is such an insult——"
dobson stopped and ducked, for the maddened boy had struck so fierce a blow that had the bully received it, it would surely have knocked him down.
"go on, dobson! give him a hiding!" cried elgert. but then tom warren pushed forward and cried out—
"drop that! charlton, don't be stupid; and you, dobson, if you want to fight, fight me."
"i say, you fellows," said elgert, "how much longer are we going to be dictated to by tom warren? charlton struck the first blow. it is his fight, and he ought to go through with it. it is a condescension on dobson's part to fight with such a fellow." and some of the boys murmured approval.
"hold hard a minute," said warren. "since elgert puts it that way, we will see if the boot is not on the other foot. let me see, dobson asked who was the last gardener, didn't he?"
[pg 246]
"that is it, warren!" cried some of the others. "and charlton got mad."
"very well; now i will tell you why. it seems that elgert and dobson, wanting a little employment, and liking to play the part of spies and informers——" elgert started. he had no idea that warren knew about that, and it was the very last thing he wished the school to hear of. he attempted to turn away, but warren noticed it, and went on.
"you had better stop, elgert, unless you are too ashamed to let gentlemen see your face." and elgert stopped, white to the lips with passion.
"that is better," said the monitor. "well, you chaps, i was saying that our gentlemanly friends, messrs. elgert and dobson, finding it to their taste to play the part of spies, must needs dog the steps of a lady, and that lady mrs. charlton, under the impression that she would guide them to the spot where her husband was hidden.
"now, having played this delightful part, these refined young gentlemen came upon an old gardener in mr. st. clive's grounds, and jumped to the conclusion that it was the lady's husband in disguise.
"then they came away and quietly enough, for they had no wish to disturb the parties concerned. but once away, they set off as hard as they could go, running all the way, to the police-station, to tell the constables that the man they wanted was hiding at[pg 247] mr. st. clive's. i would mention the fact that there is a reward offered for the apprehension of this man; perhaps that had something to do with their action. and this pair of spies and informers have the impudence to speak of it being a condescension for one of them to fight a boy in no way his equal."
"i say, warren, it can't be true!" cried one boy in disgust. "no fellow at our school would be such an awful cad!"
"look at elgert's face. does that look like innocence?" answered warren. "you can ask mr. st. clive, if you like; but you ought not to want to after that!" and he pointed to horace elgert.
ay, there was no mistake; he looked guilty, and he knew it was no good trying to deny the charge. he strove to look careless and dignified, and he turned away on his heel; but then a storm of hisses broke out. hisses! they were hissing him! and he had once been their leader! and above the clamour came the shrill voices of the juniors—
"sneak! sneak! sneak!"
he felt as if he must press his fingers in his ears and run, but he managed to maintain his slow walk, and got into the class-room, dobson at his heels; and the latter asked in consternation—
"how ever did they find out?"
"i don't know—i don't care!" was the fierce answer. "but i will pay them all out! and to think of rexworth going in for the newlet!"
[pg 248]
"won't he crow if he manages to get through!" remarked dobson; and elgert jumped up.
"he must not get through, dobson; somehow we must stop him."
"that is all very well. but how can we do it?" queried dobson, with a shake of his head. and elgert replied—
"wait until morning school is over, and i will tell you."
