Part 22 (2/2)

”Then I shall have to put you in the water-b.u.t.t! I said I would!”

”If you don't promise not to, I'll go straight to the police. They'll take the brat from you, and put her in the workhouse!”

Clare thought for a moment whether it would not be right to kill such a traitor. His mind was full of history-tales, and, like Dante, he put treachery in its own place, namely the deepest h.e.l.l. But with the thought came the words he had said so many times without thinking what they meant--”Forgive us our trespa.s.ses, as we forgive them that trespa.s.s against us,” and he saw that he was expected to forgive Tommy.

”Tommy, I forgive you,” he said solemnly, ”and will be friends with you again; but I have said it, and I was right to say it, and into the water-b.u.t.t you must go! I can't trust your word now, and I think I shall be able to trust it after that.”

Ere he had finished the words, Tommy lifted up his voice in a most unearthly screech.

Instantly Clare had him by the throat, so that he could not utter a sound.

”Tommy,” he said, ”I'm going to let you breathe again, but the moment you make a noise, I'll choke you as I'm doing now.”

With that he relaxed his hold. But Tommy had paid no heed to what he said, and began a second screech the moment he found pa.s.sage for it. Immediately he was choked, and after two or three attempts, finally desisted.

”I won't!” he said.

”You shall, Tommy. You're going head over in the b.u.t.t. We're going to it now!”

Tommy threw himself upon the ground and kicked, but dared not scream. It was awful! He would drop right through into the great place where the moon was!

Clare threw him over his shoulder, and found him not half the weight of the parcel of linen. Tommy would have bitten like a weasel, but he feared Clare's terrible hands. He was on the back of Giant Despair, in the form of one of the best boys in the world. Clare took him round the wall, and over the fence into the blacksmith's yard. The smithy was quite dark.

”Please, I didn't mean to do it!” sobbed Tommy from behind him, as Clare bore him steadily up the yard. It was all he could do to say the words, for the thought of what they were approaching sent a scream into his throat every time he parted his lips to speak.

Clare stopped.

”What didn't you mean to do?” he asked.

”I didn't mean to leave the baby.”

”How did you do it then?”

”I mean I didn't mean to stay away so long. I didn't know how to get back.”

”I told you not to leave her! And you could have got back perfectly, you little coward!”

Tommy shuddered, and said no more. Though hanging over Clare's back he knew presently, by his stopping, that they had come to the heap. There was only that heap and the wall between him and the water-b.u.t.t! Up and up he felt himself slowly, shakingly carried, and was gathering his breath for a final utterance of agony that should rouse the whole neighbourhood, when Clare, having reached the top, seated himself upon the wall, and Tommy restrained himself in the hope of what a parley might bring. But he sat down only to wheel on the pivot of his spine, as he had seen them do on the counter in the shop, and sit with his legs alongside of the water-b.u.t.t. Then he drew Tommy from his shoulder, in spite of his clinging, and laid him across his knees; and Tommy, divining there were words yet to be said, and hoping to get off with a beating, which he did not mind, remained silent.

”Your hour is come, Tommy!” said Clare. ”If you scream, I will drop you in, and hold you only by one leg. If you don't scream, I will hold you by both legs. If you scream when I take you out, in you go again!

I do what I say, Tommy!”

The wretched boy was nearly mad with terror. But now, much as he feared the water, he feared yet more for the moment him in whom lay the power of the water. Clare took him by the heels.

”I'm sorry there's no moon, as I promised you,” he said; ”she won't come up for my calling. I should have liked you to see where you were going. But if you ain't an honest boy after this, you shall have another chance; and next time we will wait for the moon!”

With that he lifted Tommy's legs, holding him by the ankles, and would have shoved his body over the edge of the b.u.t.t into the water. But Tommy clung fast to his knees.

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