Part 31 (2/2)
His uneasiness died away, however, as the days pa.s.sed and nothing happened. The paper he stowed away at home in the skivet of his chest, and very foolishly said nothing about it even to his neighbour Hosken.
Indeed he had almost forgotten it when, just before Christmas, the stranger appeared again on the slip with another paper.
”Hullo! More verses?”
”You've to show cause why you shouldn't be committed for contempt.”
”Oh, have I? Well, a man can't help his feelin's, but I'm sorry if I said anything the other day to hurt yours; for a man can't help his appearance, neither, up to a point.”
”You've none too civil a tongue,” answered the stranger, ”but I think it a kindness to warn you. By continuing to ply this ferry you're showing contempt for the law, and the law is going to punish you.”
Nicky thought this out, but could not understand it at all. If Mr. Sam had a legal right to stop him, why hadn't he sent the police, or at least a 'summons'? As for going to prison, that only happened to thieves and criminals. No man could be locked up for pulling a boat to and fro; the notion was absurd on the face of it.
Two days later he sought out Mr. Benny, and showed him the doc.u.ments.
”I wish you'd make head or tail of 'em for me. They're pretendin' somehow that Queen Victoria herself is mixed up in it. G.o.d bless her! and me that have never clapped eyes on her nor wished her aught but in health an'
wealth long to live, Amen.”
”Oh, Nicky, Nicky!” Mr. Benny leapt up from his chair. ”What have you done! and what a criminal fool was I not to keep an eye on you!”
”From all I hear,” said Nicky, ”you've had enough to do lookin' after yourself. Be it true, as I hear tell, that Rosewarne gave you the sack on my account?”
”Never talk of that,” commanded Mr. Benny. ”Go you home now, lock up your boat, get a night's rest, and expect me early to-morrow morning.
Between this and then I will see what can be done.” But his heart sank as he glanced again at the date on the doc.u.ment.
Indeed he was too late. After an ineffectual interview with Mr. Tulse, the little man rushed off to the ferry, intent on facing Mr. Sam in his den and pleading for mercy. But as he reached the slip the official ferryboat came alongside, and in the sternsheets beside the town policeman sat Nicky Vro, on his way to Bodmin gaol.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE INTERCEDERS.
”Clem!”
The blind child awoke at the touch of his sister's hand on his shoulder, and turned drowsily in his bed.
”Eh? What's the matter?” A moment later he sat up in alarm and put out a hand as if to feel the darkness. ”It isn't morning yet!”
”No; but the ground is all covered with snow, and you can't think what funny lights are dancing over it across the sky. I've been watching them for minutes and minutes.”
”What sort of lights?”
”I can't tell you, because I never saw the like of them. Sometimes they're white, and sometimes they're violet, and then again green and orange. They run right across the sky like ribbons waving, and once they turned to red and lit up the snow as far as I could see.”
”You've been catching your death of cold.” Clem could hear her teeth chattering.
”I'm not so very cold,” Myra declared bravely. ”I took off the counterpane and wrapped it round me. You'll come, won't you, dear?”
Clem knew why he was summoned. Two days ago Susannah had told them of an old woman living at Market Jew who had mixed a pot of green ointment and touched her eyes with it, and ever afterwards seen the fairies. At once Myra, who was naught if not practical, had secreted Susannah's jar of cold cream (kept to preserve the children's skin from freckles) and a phial of angelica-water from the store-closet, had stirred these into a beautiful green paste, and had anointed her own eyes and Clem's with it, using incantations--
<script>