Part 74 (2/2)

Lackington looked up with a smile.

”No, Mr. Maxwell, I cannot do that. These men are under my orders, and I shall leave two of them here and send another to keep your fellow company at the back, We will not disturb Mr. Buxton further to-night; but to-morrow we shall see.”

Mr. Buxton paid no sort of further attention to him, but turned to the magistrates.

”Well, gentlemen, what is your decision?”

”You shall sleep here in peace, sir,” said Mr. Graves resolutely. ”I can promise nothing for to-morrow.”

”Then will you kindly allow one of my men to bring me supper and a couch of some kind, and I shall be obliged if the ladies may sup with me.”

”That they shall,” a.s.sented Mr. Graves. ”Mr. Maxwell, will you escort them here?”

Hubert, who was turning away, nodded and disappeared round the yew-hedge.

Lackington, who had been talking in an undertone to the pursuivants, now went up another alley with one of them and Mr. Nichol, and disappeared too in the gathering gloom of the garden. The other two pursuivants separated and each moved a few steps off and remained just out of sight.

Plainly they were to remain on guard. Mr. Buxton and the magistrate sat down on a couple of garden-chairs.

”That is an obstinate fellow, sir,” said Mr. Graves.

”They are certainly both of them very offensive fellows, sir. I was astonished at your indulgence towards them.”

The magistrate was charmed by this view of the case, and remained talking with Mr. Buxton until footsteps again were heard, and the two ladies appeared, with Hubert with them, and a couple of men carrying each a tray and the other necessaries he had asked for.

Mr. Buxton and the magistrate rose to meet the ladies and bowed.

”I cannot tell you,” began their host elaborately, ”what distress all this affair has given me. I trust you will forgive any inconvenience you may have suffered.”

Both Isabel and Mary looked white and strained, but they responded gallantly; and as the table was being prepared the four talked almost as if there were no bitter suspense at three of their hearts at least. Mr.

Graves was nervous and uneasy, but did his utmost to propitiate Mary. At last he was on the point of withdrawing, when Mr. Buxton entreated him to sup with them.

”I must not,” he said; ”I am responsible for your property, Mr. Buxton.”

”Then I understand that these ladies may come and go as they please?” he asked carelessly.

”Certainly, sir.”

”Then may I ask too the favour that you will place one of your own men at the door who can conduct them to the house when they wish to go, and who can remain and protect me too from any disturbance from either of the two officious persons who were here just now?”

Mr. Graves, delighted at this restored confidence, promised to do so, and took an elaborate leave; and the three sat down to supper; the door was left open, and they could see through it the garden, over which veil after veil of darkness was beginning to fall. The servants had lighted two tapers, and the inside of the great room with its queer furniture of targets and flower-pots was plainly visible to any walking outside. Once or twice the figure of a man crossed the strip of light that lay across the gravel.

It was a strange supper. They said innocent things to one another in a tone loud enough for any to hear who cared to be listening, about the annoyance of it all, the useless damage that had been done, the warmth of the summer night, and the like, and spoke in low soundless sentences of what was in all their hearts.

”That red-faced fellow,” said Mary, ”would be the better of some manners.

(He is in the pa.s.sage below, I suppose.)”

”It is scarce an enn.o.bling life--that of a manhunter,” said Mr. Buxton.

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