Part 95 (1/2)

Meantime, however, something remarkable had occurred at the distance of a mile and a quarter.

Mrs. Meyrick breakfasted habitually at eight o'clock.

Reginald did not appear.

Mrs. Meyrick went to his room, and satisfied herself he had not pa.s.sed the night there.

Then she went to the foreign gent's shed.

He was not there.

Then she went out, and called loudly to them both.

No answer.

Then she went into the nearest meadow, to see if they were in sight.

The first thing she saw was the foreign gent staggering toward her.

”Drunk!” said she, and went to scold him; but, when she got nearer, she saw at once that something very serious had happened. His dark face was bloodless and awful, and he could hardly drag his limbs along; indeed they had failed him a score of times between Highmore and that place.

Just as she came up with him he sank once more to the ground, and turned up two despairing eyes toward her.

”Oh, daddy! what is it? Where's Reginald? Whatever have they done to you?”

”Brandy!” groaned the wounded man.

She flew into the house, and returned in a moment with a bottle. She put it to his lips.

He revived and told her all, in a few words.

”The young bloke and I went to crack a crib. I'm shot with a bullet.

Hide me in that loose hay there; leave me the bottle, and let n.o.body come nigh me. The beak will be after me very soon.”

Then Mrs. Meyrick, being a very strong woman, dragged him to the haystack, and covered him with loose hay.

”Now,” said she, trembling, ”where's my boy?”

”He's nabbed.”

”Oh!”

”And he'll be lagged, unless you can beg him off.”

Mary Meyrick uttered a piercing scream.

”You wretch! to tempt my boy to this. And him with five hundred pounds in his pocket, and my lady's favor. Oh, why did we not keep our word with her? She was the wisest, and our best friend. But it is all your doing; you are the devil that tempted him, you old villain!”

”Don't miscall me,” said the gypsy.

”Not miscall you, when you have run away, and left them to take my boy to jail! No word is bad enough for you, you villain!”