Part 11 (1/2)

”I thought a friend of ours was considered stupid,” he said.

”People can do very well when they like,” Mrs. Caldwell answered tartly; ”but they're too lazy to try. When did you learn that, Beth?”

”I didn't learn it,” Beth answered.

”Then how do you know it?”

”It just came to me,” Beth said.

”Then I wish your lessons would _just come_ to you.”

”I wish they would,” said Beth sincerely.

Mrs. Caldwell snapped out something about idleness and obstinacy, and left the room. The day was darkening down, and presently Captain Caldwell got up, lit a lamp at the sideboard, and set it on the dining-table. When he had done so, he took Beth, and set her on the table too. Beth stood up on it, laughing, and put her arm round his neck.

”Look at us, papa!” she exclaimed, pointing at the window opposite.

The blinds were up, and it was dark enough outside for them to see themselves reflected in the gla.s.s.

”I think we make a pretty picture, Beth,” her father said, putting his arm round her.

He had scarcely spoken, when there came a terrific report and a crash; something whizzed close to Beth's head; and a shower of gla.s.s fell on the floor. In a moment Beth had wriggled out of her father's arm, slid from the table, and scrambled up on to the window-seat, scattering the flower-pots, and slapping at her father's hand in her excitement, when he tried to stop her.

”It's Bap-faced Flanagan--or Tony-kill-the-cow,” she cried. ”I can see--O papa! why did you pull me back? Now I shall never know!”

The servants had rushed in from the kitchen, and Mrs. Caldwell came flying downstairs.

”What is it, Henry?” she cried.

”The d----d scoundrels shot at me with the child in my arms,” he answered, looking in his indignation singularly like Beth herself in a stormy mood. As he spoke he turned to the hall door, and walked out into the street bareheaded.

”For the love of the Lord, sir,” Riley remonstrated, keeping well out of the way himself.

But Captain Caldwell walked off down the middle of the road alone deliberately to the police station, his wife standing meanwhile on the doorstep, with the light behind her, coolly awaiting his return.

”Pull down the blind in the sitting-room, Riley, and keep Miss Beth there,” was all she said.

Presently Captain Caldwell returned with a police-officer and two men.

They immediately began to search the room. The gla.s.s of a picture had been shattered at the far end. Riley pulled the picture to one side, and discovered something imbedded in the wall behind, which he picked out with his pocket-knife and brought to the light. It looked like a disc all bent out of shape. He turned it every way, examining it, then tried it with his teeth.

”I thought so,” he said significantly. ”It wouldn't be yer honour they'd be afther wid a silver bullet. I heard her tell 'em herself to try one.”

”And I said if they missed they'd be d.a.m.ned,” Beth exclaimed triumphantly.

”Beth!” cried her mother, seizing her by the arm to shake her, ”how dare you use such a word?”

”I heard it in church,” said Beth, in an injured tone.