Part 81 (2/2)
”He is lying murdered in his bed there, for I saw him so not three hours past.”
He then told Troubridge all that had happened.
”What sort of man was it that attacked you?” said Troubridge.
The Doctor described Moody.
”That's his hut-keeper that he took from here with him; a man he said he knew, and you say he was on horseback. What sort of a horse had he?”
”A good-looking roan, with a new bridle on him.”
”Lee's horse,” said Troubridge; ”he must have murdered him for it. Poor William!”
But when Tom saw the pistol and read the name on it, he said,--
”Things are coming to a crisis, Doctor; the net seems closing round my unfortunate partner. G.o.d grant the storm may come and clear the air!
Anything is better than these continual alarms.”
”It will be very terrible when it does come, my dear friend,” said the Doctor.
”It cannot be much more terrible than this,” said Tom, ”when our servants are a.s.sa.s.sinated in their beds, and travellers in lonely huts have to wrestle for their lives. Doctor, did you ever nourish a pa.s.sion for revenge?”
”Yes, once,” said the Doctor, ”and had it gratified in fair and open duel; but when I saw him lying white on the gra.s.s before me, and thought that he was dead, I was like one demented, and prayed that my life might be taken instead of his. Be sure, Tom, that revenge is of the devil, and, like everything else you get from him, is not worth having.”
”I do not in the least doubt it, Doctor,” said Tom; ”but oh, if I could only have five minutes with him on the turf yonder, with no one to interfere between us! I want no weapons; let us meet in our s.h.i.+rts and trowsers, like Devon lads.”
”And what would you do to him?”
”If you weren't there to see, HE'D never tell you.”
”Why nourish this feeling, Tom, my old friend; you do not know what pain it gives me to see a n.o.ble open character like yours distorted like this. Leave him to Desborough,--why should you feel so deadly towards the man? He has injured others more than you.”
”He stands between me and the hopes of a happy old age. He stands between me and the light, and he must stand on one side.”
That night they brought poor Lee's body down in a dray, and buried him in the family burying-ground close beside old Miss Thornton. Then the next morning he rode back home to the Buckleys', where he found that family with myself, just arrived from the Brentwoods'. I of course was brimful of intelligence, but when the Doctor arrived I was thrown into the shade at once. However, no time was to be lost, and we despatched a messenger, post haste, to fetch back Captain Desborough and his troopers, who had now been moved off about a week, but had not been as yet very far withdrawn, and were examining into some ”black” outrages to the northward.
Mary Hawker was warned, as delicately as possible, that her husband was in the neighbourhood. She remained buried in thought for a time, and then, rousing herself, said, suddenly,--
”There must be an end to all this. Get my horse, and let me go home.”
In spite of all persuasions to the contrary, she still said the same.
”Mrs. Buckley, I will go home and see if I can meet him alone. All I ask of you is to keep Charles with you. Don't let the father and son meet, in G.o.d's name.”
”But what can you do?” urged Mrs. Buckley.
”Something, at all events. Find out what he wants. Buy him off, perhaps. Pray don't argue with me. I am quite determined.”
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