Part 15 (1/2)
”Then I'll do it myself.”
”Go and blab! That's right. Great Scott! you must have got religious mania, or something.”
”But of course,” said Pip rea.s.suringly, ”I should only do that as a last resource. I should try the other way first. To begin with--but, by the bye, where do you get your whiskey?”
”What the devil has that got to do with you?” roared Linklater.
”Lots. I'm going to cut off the supply.”
”Find out where it comes from first.”
”I'm going to. Do you get it from the butler?”
”Find out.”
”Right-o! But if I accuse him of supplying smuggled whiskey to the house, and he happens to be innocent, it's possible he may consider it his duty to mention the matter to Chilly. Won't you be rather landed if he does?”
He gazed inquiringly at Linklater, and the latter, thus suddenly cornered, lowered his eyes.
”It isn't the butler,” he growled.
”Who is it?”
A pause. Then--”Atkins.” (Atkins was the gate porter.)
”Thanks,” said Pip. ”I'll tell Atkins that if he supplies another bottle I'll report him to the Head. But all that is by the way. What I want to say is this, Link: will you promise me on your honor to drop all this monkey-business and back me up in putting the house in decent order again? This long frost is playing Old Harry with the place; but if you--if we play the man this day, the bottom will drop out of the opposition completely. Will you promise, Link?”
Pip was extremely red in the face. One cannot strain the foundations of an ancient friends.h.i.+p without feeling it.
Linklater looked at him for a moment, and then gazed into the fire.
”Supposing I don't,” he said at length.
”But you will?”
”Yes; but supposing I _don't_?”
”Then,” said Pip deliberately, ”I should have to give you a thundering good licking, Link.”
Linklater was no coward, but Pip's slow words dropped into his heart like ice. He felt miserably petty and mean, and he knew that he looked it. He raised the ghost of a laugh.
”Wha--what the blazes do you mean, old man?” he queried uneasily. ”Rum way to treat your friends, isn't it?” It was the first time that he had admitted their friends.h.i.+p during that interview.
”Yes, filthy,” said Pip. ”But there's only one alternative--to report you to Chilly, and I don't want to do that. The less masters have to do with this job the better.”
Linklater plucked up courage. Pip seemed so good-tempered and serene.
”Well, old chap,” he said easily, ”I absolutely refuse to fight you. The idea's absurd. So there!”