Part 14 (2/2)

answered Digby.

”I was afraid he might be hurt. Well, you two had a fortunate escape,”

observed Mr Simson; ”I know all about it; I don't want to betray you, though; I have boys of my own: but you mustn't do the same thing again, that is all.”

”Thank you,” answered Digby, ”I am very much obliged to you, indeed I am.”

”That's what I like, young gentleman, that's manly and right-spirited,”

said Mr Simson, taking his hand and pressing it warmly. ”I wouldn't betray you on any account, that I wouldn't. Trust to me.”

Digby was much happier after this. He felt, however, that he had escaped a great danger of the whole matter being known, and though he couldn't exactly divine what punishment he might have inflicted on him, he knew that he should at all events have been made to look very foolish.

”They wouldn't hang a fellow for such a thing, and I don't suppose they would send me to prison. Still, I am really very grateful to kind Mr Simson for not peaching. I'll always deal with him in future. How did he find out all about it, I wonder?”

He heard with much more indifference than at first, the various remarks and conjectures made on the subject, and the feeling that he had acted a manly part about it enabled him to look people boldly in the face, and thus he escaped the suspicion which would otherwise have fallen on him.

When he got home he found Julian very dull and sorry for himself. He told him what Mr Simson had said.

”Oh, then, he will go and peach upon us, and it will all be found out,”

exclaimed Julian, half-crying.

”But he promised that he would say nothing about the matter,” urged Digby.

”So he might, but one can't trust to a shopkeeper,” answered Julian, with a scornful turn of his lip.

”I don't see that,” replied Digby; ”if he is an honourable man and has good feelings, I think that one may trust to a shopkeeper as well as to the first n.o.ble in the land; I know that my uncle often says that one man's word is as good as that of another, provided both are equally honest and upright.”

”All I know is, that old Simson was very impertinent to me when I went to buy the gunpowder,” said Julian; ”if I hadn't wanted more I wouldn't have gone to him again.”

”He cautioned me about it, and not without some reason,” said Digby; ”So I'll maintain that old Simson is a very good fellow, and, what's more, I'm sure he looks like a gentleman in every way.”

Several days pa.s.sed by, and though inquiries were made and numbers of people were examined, no clue was discovered to the originators of what the county papers called that mysterious circ.u.mstance at Osberton.

Digby couldn't help cutting out the paragraph, and sending it to Kate, darkly hinting that he might, perhaps, some day enlighten her about the matter. He was afraid of committing the account to paper, but her very acute perception at once divined that he had taken a prominent part in the affair. How she did long to hear all about it, and how he did long for the holidays that he might tell her. He had an idea that his uncle knew something about it, because after this neither he nor Julian were allowed to go out, except in company with Marshall or Power, or Toby Tubb. One day, however, all the boys had gone together to the beach, and by some means or other, unintentionally, while some were climbing up over the cliffs, Digby got separated from the rest. As he knew his way home, however, perfectly well, he did not care about it, even though it was growing dark. He had not gone far when two men overtook him; they were rough-looking fellows and dressed as seamen; he did not altogether like their appearance. They went on some little way, and then turning back, they looked him in the face, and one of them said--

”Are you Squire Heathcote's son, master?”

”Yes,” answered Digby, ”I am. Why do you want to know?”

”I've asked a civil question, and you've given a civil answer, master.

Good-night,” replied the man who had before spoken; and then they both walked rapidly on.

Digby thought it rather odd that men of that sort should wish to know who he was, but troubled himself very little more about the matter.

When he got home, his uncle inquired how he came to be later than the rest; and knowing he always spoke the truth, was perfectly satisfied with his explanation.

”Your uncle seems to think that he can trust you much more than he can me,” observed Julian one day. ”It is very hard upon me, as I am older.

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