light:
there
was
a
loud
cry
of
dismay
from
the
shore
,
and
a
wail
of
despair
from
the
ship
.
No
!
not
lost
after
all
!
The
light
emerged
,
and
mounted
,
and
mounted
towards
the
ship
.
It
came
near
,
and
showed
the
black
shiny
body
of
Vespasian
,
with
very
little
on
but
a
handkerchief
and
a
lantern
—
the
former
round
his
waist
,
and
the
latter
lashed
to
his
back
:
he
arrived
with
a
“
Yah
!
yah
!
”
and
showed
his
white
teeth
in
a
grin
.
Mrs.
Beresford
clutched
his
shoulder
,
and
whimpered
,
“
Oh
,
Mr.
Black
!
”
“
Iss
,
Missy
,
dis
child
bring
good
news
.
Cap'n
!
Massah
Fullalove
send
you
his
congratulations
,
and
the
compliments
of
the
season
;
and
take
the
liberty
to
observe
the
tide
am
turn
in
twenty
minutes
.
”
The
good
news
thus
quaintly
announced
caused
an
outburst
of
joy
from
Dodd
,
and
,
sailor-like
,
he
insisted
on
all
hands
joining
in
a
cheer
.
The
shore
re-echoed
it
directly
.
And
this
encouraged
the
forlorn
band
still
more
;
to
hear
other
hearts
beating
for
them
so
near
.
Even
the
intervening
waves
could
not
quite
annul
the
sustaining
power
of
sympathy
.
At
this
moment
came
the
first
faint
streaks
of
welcome
dawn
,
and
revealed
their
situation
more
fully
.
The
vessel
lay
on
the
edge
of
a
sandbank
.
She
was
clean
in
two
,
the
stern
lying
somewhat
higher
than
the
stem
.
The
sea
rolled
through
her
amidships
six
feet
broad
,
frightful
to
look
at
,
and
made
a
clean
breach
over
her
forward
,
all
except
the
bowsprit
to
the
end
of
which
the
poor
sailors
were
now
discovered
to
be
clinging
.
The
afterpart
of
the
poop
was
out
of
water
,
and
in
a
corner
of
it
the
goat
crouched
like
a
rabbit
:
four
dead
bodies
washed
about
beneath
the
party
trembling
in
the
mizen-top
,
and
one
had
got
jammed
in
the
wheel
,
face
uppermost
and
glared
up
at
them
,
gazing
terror-stricken
down
.
No
sign
of
the
tide
turning
yet
,
and
much
reason
to
fear
it
would
turn
too
late
for
them
and
the
poor
fellows
shivering
on
the
bowsprit
.
These
fears
were
well
founded
.
A
huge
sea
rolled
in
,
and
turned
the
forepart
of
the
vessel
half
over
,
buried
the
bowsprit
,
and
washed
the
men
off
into
the
breakers
.
Mrs.
Beresford
sank
down
,
and
prayed
,
holding
Vespasian
by
the
knee
.
Fortunately
,
as
in
that
vessel
wrecked
long
syne
on
Melita
,
“
the
hind
part
of
the
ship
stuck
fast
and
remained
immovable
.
”
But
for
how
long
?
Each
wave
now
struck
the
ship
's
weather
quarter
with
a
sound
like
a
cannon
fired
in
a
church
,
and
sent
the
water
clear
into
the
mizen-top
.
It
hit
them
like
strokes
of
a
whip
.
They
were
drenched
to
the
skin
,
chilled
to
the
bone
,
and
frozen
to
the
heart
with
fear
.
They
made
acquaintance
that
hour
with
Death
.
Ay
,
Death
itself
has
no
bitterness
that
forlorn
cluster
did
not
feel
:
only
the
insensibility
that
ends
that
bitterness
was
wanting
.
Now
the
sea
,
you
must
know
,
was
literally
strewed
with
things
out
of
the
Agra
;
masts
,
rigging
,
furniture
,
tea-chests
,
bundles
of
canes
,
chairs
,
tables
;
but
of
all
this
jetsam
,
Dodd
's
eye
had
been
for
some
little
time
fixed
on
one
object
:
a
live
sailor
drifting
ashore
on
a
great
wooden
case
.
It
struck
him
after
a
while
that
the
man
made
very
little
way
,
and
at
last
seemed
to
go
up
and
down
in
one
place
.
By-and-bye
he
saw
him
nearer
and
nearer
,
and
recognised
him
.
It
was
one
of
the
three
washed
off
the
bowsprit
.
He
cried
joyfully
,
“
The
tide
has
turned
!
here
's
Thompson
coming
out
to
sea
.
”
Then
there
ensued
a
dialogue
,
incredible
to
landsmen
,
between
these
two
sailors
,
the
captain
of
the
ship
and
the
captain
of
the
foretop
,
one
perched
on
a
stationary
fragment
of
that
vessel
,
the
other
drifting
on
a
pianoforte
,
and
both
bawling
at
one
another
across
the
jaws
of
death
.
“
Thompson
ahoy
!
”
“
Hal-lo
!
”
“
Whither
bound
?
”
“
Going
out
with
the
tide
,
and
be
d
—
—
d
to
me
.
”
“
What
,
ca
n't
ye
swim
?
”
“
Like
a
brass
figure-head
.
It
's
all
over
with
poor
Jack
,
sir
.
”
“
All
over
!
Do
n't
tell
me
!
Look
out
now
as
you
drift
under
our
stern
,
and
we
'll
lower
you
the
four-inch
hawser
.
”
“
Lord
bless
you
,
sir
,
do
,
pray
!
”
cried
Thompson
,
losing
his
recklessness
with
the
chance
of
life
.
By
this
time
the
shore
was
black
with
people
,
and
a
boat
was
brought
down
to
the
beach
,
but
to
attempt
to
launch
it
was
to
be
sucked
out
to
sea
.
At
present
all
eyes
were
fixed
on
Thompson
drifting
to
destruction
.
Dodd
cut
the
four-inch
hawser
,
and
Vespasian
,
on
deck
,
lowered
it
with
a
line
,
so
that
Thompson
presently
drifted
right
athwart
it
.
“
All
right
,
sir
!
”
said
he
,
grasping
it
,
and
,
amidst
thundering
acclamations
,
was
drawn
to
land
full
of
salt
water
and
all
but
insensible
.
The
piano
landed
at
Dunkirk
three
weeks
later
.
In
the
bustle
of
this
good
and
smart
action
the
tide
retired
perceptibly
.
By-and-bye
the
sea
struck
lower
and
with
less
weight
.
At
9
P.
M
.
Dodd
took
his
little
party
down
on
deck
again
,
being
now
the
safest
place
;
for
the
mast
might
go
.
It
was
a
sad
scene
:
the
deck
was
now
dry
,
and
the
dead
bodies
lay
quiet
around
them
with
glassy
eyes
;
and
,
grotesquely
horrible
,
the
long
hair
of
two
or
three
was
stiff
and
crystallised
with
the
saltpetre
in
the
ship
.
Mrs.
Beresford
clung
to
Vespasian
:
she
held
his
bare
black
shoulder
with
one
white
and
jewelled
hand
,
and
his
wrist
with
the
other
,
tight
.
“
Oh
,
Mr.
Black
,
”
said
she
,
“
how
brave
you
are
!
It
is
incredible
.
Why
,
you
came
back
!
I
must
feel
a
brave
man
with
both
my
hands
or
I
shall
die
.
Your
skin
is
nice
and
soft
,
too
.
I
shall
never
outlive
this
dreadful
day
.
”
And
now
that
the
water
was
too
low
to
wash
them
off
the
hawser
,
several
of
the
ship
's
company
came
back
to
the
ship
to
help
the
women
down
.
By
noon
the
Agra
's
deck
was
thirty
feet
from
the
sand
.
The
rescued
ones
wanted
to
break
their
legs
and
necks
,
but
Dodd
would
not
permit
even
that
.
He
superintended
the
whole
manoeuvre
,
and
lowered
,
first
the
dead
,
then
the
living
,
not
omitting
the
poor
goat
,
who
was
motionless
and
limp
with
fright
.
When
they
were
all
safe
on
the
sand
,
Dodd
stood
alone
upon
the
poop
a
minute
,
cheered
by
all
the
sailors
,
French
and
English
,
ashore
,
then
slid
down
a
rope
and
rejoined
his
companions
.
To
their
infinite
surprise
,
the
undaunted
one
was
found
to
be
snivelling
.
“
Oh
,
dear
!
what
is
the
matter
?
”
said
Mrs.
Beresford
tenderly
.
“
The
poor
Agra
,
ma'am
!
She
was
such
a
beautiful
sea-boat
:
and
just
look
at
her
now
!
Never
sail
again
:
never
!
never
!
She
was
a
little
crank
in
beating
,
I
ca
n't
deny
it
;
but
how
she
did
fly
with
the
wind
abaft
.
She
sank
a
pirate
in
the
straits
,
and
weathered
a
hurricane
off
the
Mauritius
;
and
after
all
for
a
lubber
to
go
and
lay
her
bones
ashore
in
a
fair
wind
:
poor
dear
beauty
!
”
He
maundered
thus
,
and
kept
turning
back
to
look
at
the
wreck
,
till
he
happened
to
lay
his
hand
on
his
breast
He
stopped
in
the
middle
of
his
ridiculous
lament
wore
a
look
of
self-reproach
,
and
cast
his
eyes
upward
in
heartfelt
gratitude
.
The
companions
of
so
many
adventures
dispersed
.
A
hospitable
mayoress
entertained
Mrs.
Beresford
and
suite
;
and
she
took
to
her
bed
,
for
she
fell
seriously
ill
as
soon
as
ever
she
could
do
it
with
impunity
.
Colonel
Kenealy
went
off
to
Paris
:
“
I
'll
gain
that
,
any
way
,
by
being
wrecked
,
”
said
he
.
If
there
be
a
lover
of
quadrupeds
here
,
let
him
know
that
Billy
's
weakness
proved
his
strength
.
Being
brandied
by
a
good-natured
French
sailor
,
he
winked
his
eye
;
being
brandied
greatly
,
he
staggered
up
and
butted
his
benefactor
like
a
man
.
Fullalove
had
dry
clothes
and
a
blazing
fire
ready
for
Dodd
at
a
little
rude
auberge
.
He
sat
over
it
and
dried
a
few
bank-notes
he
had
loose
about
him
,
and
examined
his
greater
treasure
,
his
children
's
.
The
pocket-book
was
much
stained
,
but
no
harm
whatever
done
to
the
contents
.
In
the
midst
of
this
employment
the
shadow
of
an
enormous
head
was
projected
right
upon
his
treasure
.
Turning
with
a
start
,
he
saw
a
face
at
the
window
:
one
of
those
vile
mugs
which
are
found
to
perfection
amongst
the
canaille
of
the
French
nation
—
bloated
,
blear-eyed
,
grizzly
,
and
wild-beast
like
.
The
ugly
thing
,
on
being
confronted
,
passed
slowly
out
of
the
sun
,
and
Dodd
thought
no
more
of
it
.
The
owner
of
this
sinister
visage
was
Andre
Thibout
,
of
whom
it
might
be
said
,
like
face
like
life
;
for
he
was
one
of
those
ill-omened
creatures
who
feed
upon
the
misfortunes
of
their
kind
,
and
stand
on
shore
in
foul
weather
hoping
the
worst
,
instead
of
praying
for
the
best
:
briefly
,
a
wrecker
.
He
and
his
comrade
,
Jacques
Moinard
,
had
heard
the
Agra
's
gun
fired
,
and
came
down
to
batten
on
the
wreck
:
but
ho
!
at
the
turn
of
the
tide
,
there
were
gensdarmes
and
soldiers
lining
the
beach
,
and
the
Bayonet
interposed
between
Theft
and
Misfortune
.
So
now
the
desperate
pair
were
prowling
about
like
hungry
,
baffled
wolves
,
curses
on
their
lips
and
rage
at
their
hearts
.
Dodd
was
extremely
anxious
to
get
to
Barkington
before
the
news
of
the
wreck
;
for
otherwise
he
knew
his
wife
and
children
would
suffer
a
year
's
agony
in
a
single
day
.
The
only
chance
he
saw
was
to
get
to
Boulogne
in
time
to
catch
the
Nancy
sailing
packet
;
for
it
was
her
day
.
But
then
Boulogne
was
eight
leagues
distant
,
and
there
was
no
public
conveyance
going
.
Fullalove
,
entering
heartily
into
his
feelings
,
was
gone
to
look
for
horses
to
hire
,
aided
by
the
British
Consul
.
The
black
hero
was
upstairs
clearing
out
with
a
pin
two
holes
that
had
fallen
into
decay
for
want
of
use
.
These
holes
were
in
his
ears
.
And
now
,
worn
out
by
anxiety
and
hard
work
,
Dodd
began
to
nod
in
his
chair
by
the
fire
.
He
had
not
been
long
asleep
when
the
hideous
face
of
Thibout
reappeared
at
the
window
and
watched
him
.
Presently
a
low
whistle
was
uttered
outside
,
and
soon
the
two
ruffians
entered
the
room
,
and
,
finding
the
landlady
there
as
well
as
Dodd
,
called
for
a
little
glass
apiece
of
absinthe
.
While
drinking
it
,
they
cast
furtive
glances
towards
Dodd
,
and
waited
till
she
should
go
about
her
business
,
and
leave
them
alone
with
him
.
But
the
good
woman
surmised
their
looks
,
and
knowing
the
character
of
the
men
,
poured
out
a
cup
of
coffee
from
a
great
metal
reservoir
by
the
fire
,
and
waked
Dodd
without
ceremony
:
“
Voici
votre
cafe
,
Monsieur
!
”
making
believe
he
had
ordered
it
.
“
Merci
,
Madame
!
”
replied
he
,
for
his
wife
had
taught
him
a
little
French
.
“
One
may
sleep
mal
a
propos
,
”
muttered
the
woman
in
his
ear
.
“
My
man
is
at
the
fair
,
and
there
are
people
here
who
are
not
worth
any
great
things
.
”
Dodd
rubbed
his
eyes
and
saw
those
two
foul
faces
at
the
end
of
the
kitchen
:
for
such
it
was
,
though
called
salle
a
manger
.
“
Humph
!
”
said
he
;
and
instinctively
buttoned
his
coat
.
At
that
Thibout
touched
Moinard
's
knee
under
the
table
.
Fullalove
came
in
soon
after
to
say
he
had
got
two
horses
,
and
they
would
be
here
in
a
quarter
of
an
hour
.
“
Well
,
but
Vespasian
?
how
is
he
to
go
?
”
inquired
Dodd
.
“
Oh
,
we
'll
send
him
on
ahead
,
and
then
ride
and
tie
.
”
“
No
,
no
,
”
said
Dodd
,
“
I
'll
go
ahead
.
That
will
shake
me
up
.
I
think
I
should
tumble
off
a
horse
;
I
'm
so
dead
sleepy
.
”
Accordingly
he
started
to
walk
on
the
road
to
Boulogne
.
He
had
not
been
gone
three
minutes
when
Moinard
sauntered
out
.
Moinard
had
not
been
gone
two
minutes
when
Thibout
strolled
out
.
Moinard
kept
Dodd
in
sight
and
Thibout
kept
Moinard
.
The
horses
were
brought
soon
after
,
but
unfortunately
the
pair
did
not
start
immediately
,
though
,
had
they
known
it
,
every
moment
was
precious
.
They
wasted
time
in
argument
.
Vespasian
had
come
down
with
a
diamond
ring
in
one
ear
,
and
a
ruby
in
the
other
.
Fullalove
saw
this
retrograde
step
,
and
said
grimly
,
“
Have
you
washed
but
half
your
face
,
or
is
this
a
return
to
savagery
?
”
Vespasian
wore
an
air
of
offended
dignity
.
“
No
,
sar
;
these
yar
decorations
come
off
a
lady
ob
i
cibilisation
:
Missy
Beresford
donated
'
em
me
.
Says
she
,
'
Massah
Black
'
—
yah
!
yah
!
She
always
nick-nominates
dis
child
Massa
Black
—
'
while
I
was
praying
Goramighty
for
self
and
pickaninny
,
I
seen
you
out
of
one
corner
of
my
eye
admirationing
my
rings
;
den
just
you
take
'
em
,
'
says
dat
ar
aristocracy
:
'
for
I
do
n't
admirationise
'
em
none
:
I
've
been
shipwrecked
.
'
So
I
took
'
em
wid
incredible
condescension
;
and
dat
ar
beautiful
lady
says
to
me
,
'
Oh
,
get
along
wid
your
nonsense
about
coloured
skins
!
I
have
inspectionated
your
conduct
,
Massa
Black
,
and
likewise
your
performances
on
the
slack
rope
,
'
says
she
,
'
in
time
of
shipwreck
:
and
darn
me
,
'
says
she
,
'
but
you
are
a
man
,
you
are
.
'
'
No
,
Missy
,
'
says
I
superciliously
,
'
dis
child
am
not
a
man
,
if
you
please
,
but
a
coloured
gemman
.
'
”
He
added
,
he
had
put
them
in
his
ears
because
the
biggest
would
not
go
on
his
little
finger
.
Fullalove
groaned
.
“
And
of
course
,
the
next
thing
,
you
'll
ring
your
snout
like
a
pig
or
a
Patagonian
.
There
,
come
along
,
ye
darn
'd
—
Anomaly
.
”
He
was
going
to
say
“
Cuss
,
”
but
remembering
his
pupil
's
late
heroic
conduct
,
softened
it
down
to
Anomaly
.
But
Vespasian
always
measured
the
force
of
words
by
their
length
or
obscurity
.
“
Anomaly
”
cut
him
to
the
heart
:
he
rode
off
in
moody
silence
and
dejection
,
asking
himself
sorrowfully
what
he
had
done
that
such
a
mountain
of
vituperation
should
fall
on
him
.
“
Anomaly
!
!
”
They
cantered
along
in
silence
;
for
Fullalove
was
digesting
this
new
trait
in
his
pupil
,
and
asking
himself
could
he
train
it
out
,
or
must
he
cross
it
out
.
Just
outside
the
town
they
met
Captain
Robarts
walking
in
;
he
had
landed
three
miles
off
down
the
coast
.
“
Hallo
!
”
said
Fullalove
.
“
I
suppose
you
thought
I
was
drowned
?
”
said
Robarts
spitefully
;
“
but
you
see
I
'm
alive
still
.
”
Fullalove
replied
,
“
Well
,
captain
,
that
is
only
one
mistake
more
you
've
made
,
I
reckon
.
”
About
two
English
miles
from
the
town
they
came
to
a
long
straight
slope
up
and
down
,
where
they
could
see
a
league
before
them
;
and
there
they
caught
sight
of
David
Dodd
's
tall
figure
mounting
the
opposite
rise
.
Behind
him
at
some
little
distance
were
two
men
going
the
same
way
,
but
on
the
grass
by
the
roadside
,
whereas
David
was
on
the
middle
of
the
road
.
“
He
walks
well
for
Jacky
Tar
,
”
said
Fullalove
.
“
Iss
,
sar
,
”
said
Vespasian
sulkily
;
“
but
dis
'
Analogy
'
tink
he
not
walk
so
fast
as
those
two
behind
him
,
cos
they
catch
him
up
.
”
Now
Vespasian
had
hardly
uttered
these
words
when
a
thing
occurred
,
so
sudden
and
alarming
,
that
the
speaker
's
eyes
protruded
,
and
he
was
dumfounded
a
moment
;
the
next
a
loud
cry
burst
from
both
him
and
his
companion
at
once
,
and
they
lashed
their
horses
to
the
gallop
and
went
tearing
down
the
hill
in
a
fury
of
rage
and
apprehension
.
Mr.
Fullalove
was
right
,
I
think
:
a
sailor
is
seldom
a
smart
walker
;
but
Dodd
was
a
cricketer
,
you
know
,
as
well
.
He
swung
along
at
a
good
pace
and
in
high
spirits
.
He
had
lost
nothing
but
a
few
clothes
,
and
a
quadrant
,
and
a
chronometer
;
it
was
a
cheap
wreck
to
him
,
and
a
joyful
one
:
for
peril
past
is
present
delight
.
He
had
saved
his
life
,
and
what
he
valued
more
,
his
children
's
money
.
Never
was
that
dear
companion
of
his
perils
so
precious
to
him
as
now
.
One
might
almost
fancy
that
,
by
some
strange
sympathy
,
he
felt
the
immediate
happiness
of
his
daughter
depended
on
it
.
Many
in
my
day
believe
that
human
minds
can
thus
communicate
,
overleaping
material
distances
.
Not
knowing
,
I
ca
n't
say
.
However
,
no
such
solution
is
really
needed
here
.
All
the
members
of
a
united
and
loving
family
feel
together
and
work
together
—
without
specific
concert
—
though
hemispheres
lie
between
:
it
is
one
of
the
beautiful
traits
of
true
family
affection
.
Now
the
Dodds
,
father
,
mother
,
sister
,
brother
,
were
more
one
in
heart
and
love
than
any
other
family
I
ever
saw
:
woe
to
them
if
they
had
not
.
David
,
then
,
walked
towards
Boulogne
that
afternoon
a
happy
man
.
Already
he
tasted
by
anticipation
the
warm
caresses
of
his
wife
and
children
,
and
saw
himself
seated
at
the
hearth
,
with
those
beloved
ones
clustering
close
round
him
.
How
would
he
tell
them
Its
adventures
—
Its
dangers
from
pirates
—
Its
loss
at
sea
—
Its
recovery
—
Its
wreck
—
Its
coming
ashore
dry
as
a
bone
;
and
conclude
by
taking
It
out
of
his
bosom
and
dropping
It
in
his
wife
's
lap
with
“
Cheer
,
boys
,
cheer
!
”
Trudging
on
in
this
delightful
reverie
,
his
ear
detected
a
pitpat
at
some
distance
behind
him
:
he
looked
round
with
very
slight
curiosity
and
saw
two
men
coming
up
.
Even
in
that
hasty
glance
he
recognised
the
foulface
of
Andre
Tiribout
,
a
face
not
to
be
forgotten
in
a
day
.
I
do
n't
know
how
it
was
,
but
he
saw
in
a
moment
that
face
was
after
him
to
rob
him
,
and
he
naturally
enough
concluded
It
was
their
object
.
And
he
was
without
a
weapon
,
and
they
were
doubtless
armed
.
Indeed
,
Thibout
was
swinging
a
heavy
cudgel
.
Poor
Dodd
's
mind
went
into
a
whirl
and
his
body
into
a
cold
sweat
.
In
such
moments
men
live
a
year
.
To
gain
a
little
time
he
walked
swiftly
on
,
pretending
not
to
have
noticed
them
:
but
oh
!
his
eyes
roved
wildly
to
each
side
of
the
road
for
a
chance
of
escape
.
He
saw
none
.
To
his
right
was
a
precipitous
rock
;
to
his
left
a
profound
ravine
with
a
torrent
below
,
and
the
sides
scantily
clothed
with
fir-trees
and
bushes
:
he
was
,
in
fact
,
near
the
top
of
a
long
rising
ground
called
“
La
Mauvaise
Cote
,
”
on
account
of
a
murder
committed
there
two
hundred
years
ago
.
Presently
he
heard
the
men
close
behind
him
.
At
the
same
moment
he
saw
at
the
side
of
the
ravine
a
flint
stone
about
the
size
of
two
fists
:
he
made
but
three
swift
strides
,
snatched
it
up
,
and
turned
to
meet
the
robbers
,
drawing
himself
up
high
,
and
showing
fight
in
every
inch
.
The
men
were
upon
him
.
His
change
of
attitude
was
so
sudden
and
fiery
that
they
recoiled
a
step
.
But
it
was
only
for
a
moment
:
they
had
gone
too
far
to
retreat
;
they
divided
,
and
Thibout
attacked
him
on
his
left
with
uplifted
cudgel
,
and
Moinard
on
his
right
with
a
long
glittering
knife
.
The
latter
,
to
guard
his
head
from
the
stone
,
whipped
off
his
hat
and
held
it
before
his
head
:
but
Dodd
was
what
is
called
“
left
handed
:
”
“
ambidexter
”
would
be
nearer
the
mark
(
he
carved
and
wrote
with
his
right
hand
,
heaved
weights
and
flung
cricket-balls
with
his
left
)
.
He
stepped
forward
,
flung
the
stone
in
Thibout
's
face
with
perfect
precision
,
and
that
bitter
impetus
a
good
thrower
lends
at
the
moment
of
delivery
,
and
almost
at
the
same
moment
shot
out
his
right
hand
and
caught
Moinard
by
the
throat
.
Sharper
and
fiercer
collision
was
never
seen
than
of
these
three
.
Thibout
's
face
crashed
;
his
blood
squirted
all
round
the
stone
,
and
eight
yards
off
lay
that
assailant
on
his
back
.
Moinard
was
more
fortunate
:
he
got
two
inches
of
his
knife
into
Dodd
's
left
shoulder
,
at
the
very
moment
Dodd
caught
him
in
his
right-hand
vice
.
And
now
one
vengeful
hand
of
iron
grasped
him
felly
by
the
throat
;
another
seized
his
knife
arm
and
twisted
it
back
like
a
child
's
.
He
kicked
and
struggled
furiously
,
but
in
half
a
minute
the
mighty
English
arm
and
iron
fingers
held
the
limp
body
of
Jacques
Moinard
with
its
knees
knocking
,
temples
bursting
,
throat
relaxed
,
eyes
protruding
,
and
livid
tongue
lolling
down
to
his
chin
.
A
few
seconds
more
,
and
,
with
the
same
stalwart
arm
that
kept
his
relaxed
and
sinking
body
from
falling
,
Dodd
gave
him
one
fierce
whirl
round
to
the
edge
of
the
road
,
then
put
a
foot
to
his
middle
,
and
spurned
his
carcase
with
amazing
force
and
fury
down
the
precipice
.
Crunch
!
crunch
!
it
plunged
from
tree
to
tree
,
from
bush
to
bush
,
and
at
last
rolled
into
a
thick
bramble
,
and
there
stuck
in
the
form
of
a
crescent
But
Dodd
had
no
sooner
sent
him
headlong
by
that
mighty
effort
,
than
his
own
sight
darkened
,
his
head
swam
,
and
,
after
staggering
a
little
way
,
he
sank
down
in
a
state
bordering
on
insensibility
.
Meantime
Fullalove
and
Vespasian
were
galloping
down
the
opposite
hill
to
his
rescue
.
Unfortunately
,
Andre
Thibout
was
not
dead
,
nor
even
mortally
wounded
.
He
was
struck
on
the
nose
and
mouth
;
that
nose
was
flat
for
the
rest
of
his
life
,
and
half
of
his
front
teeth
were
battered
out
of
their
sockets
,
but
he
fell
,
not
from
the
brain
being
stunned
,
but
the
body
driven
to
earth
by
the
mere
physical
force
of
so
momentous
a
blow
,
knocked
down
like
a
ninepin
.
He
now
sat
up
bewildered
,
and
found
himself
in
a
pool
of
blood
,
his
own
.
He
had
little
sensation
of
pain
,
but
he
put
his
hand
to
his
face
,
and
found
scarce
a
trace
of
his
features
,
and
his
hand
came
away
gory
.
He
groaned
.
Rising
to
his
feet
,
he
saw
Dodd
sitting
at
some
distance
;
his
first
impulse
was
to
fly
from
so
terrible
an
antagonist
,
but
,
as
he
made
for
the
ravine
,
he
observed
that
Dodd
was
in
a
helpless
condition
,
wounded
perhaps
by
Moinard
.
And
where
was
Moinard
?
Nothing
visible
of
him
but
his
knife
:
that
lay
glittering
in
the
road
.
Thibout
with
anxious
eye
turned
towards
Dodd
,
kneeled
to
pick
it
up
,
and
in
the
act
a
drop
of
his
own
blood
fell
on
the
dust
beside
it
.
He
snarled
like
a
wounded
tiger
,
spat
out
half-a-dozen
teeth
,
and
crept
on
tiptoe
to
his
safe
revenge
.
Awake
from
your
lethargy
or
you
are
a
dead
man
!
No
!
Thibout
got
to
him
unperceived
,
and
the
knife
glittered
over
his
head
.
At
this
moment
the
air
seemed
to
fill
with
clattering
hoofs
and
voices
,
and
a
pistol-shot
rang
.
Dodd
heard
and
started
,
and
so
saw
his
peril
.
He
put
up
his
left
hand
to
parry
the
blow
,
but
feebly
.
Luckily
for
him
Thibout
's
eyes
were
now
turned
another
way
,
and
glaring
with
stupid
terror
out
of
his
mutilated
visage
:
a
gigantic
mounted
fiend
,
with
black
face
and
white
gleaming
,
rolling
eyes
was
coming
at
him
like
the
wind
,
uttering
horrid
howls
.
Thibout
launched
himself
at
the
precipice
with
a
shriek
of
dismay
,
and
went
rolling
after
his
comrade
;
but
ere
he
had
gone
ten
yards
he
fell
across
a
young
larch-tree
and
hung
balanced
.
Up
came
the
foaming
horses
:
Fullalove
dismounted
hastily
and
fired
three
deliberate
shots
down
at
Thibout
from
his
revolver
.
He
rolled
off
,
and
never
stopped
again
till
he
splashed
into
the
torrent
,
and
lay
there
staining
it
with
blood
from
his
battered
face
and
perforated
shoulder
.
Vespasian
jumped
off
,
and
with
glistening
eyes
administered
some
good
brandy
to
Dodd
.
He
,
unconscious
of
his
wound
,
a
slight
one
,
relieved
their
anxiety
by
assuring
them
somewhat
faintly
he
was
not
hurt
,
but
that
,
ever
since
that
“
tap
on
the
head
”
he
got
in
the
Straits
of
Gaspar
,
any
angry
excitement
told
on
him
,
made
his
head
swim
,
and
his
temples
seem
to
swell
from
the
inside
.
“
I
should
have
come
off
second-best
but
for
you
,
my
dear
friends
.
Shake
hands
over
it
,
do
!
O
,
Lord
bless
you
!
Lord
bless
you
both
.
As
for
you
,
Vespasian
,
I
do
think
you
are
my
guardian
angel
.
Why
,
this
is
the
second
time
you
've
saved
my
life
.
No
,
it
is
n't
:
for
it
's
the
third
.
”
“
Now
you
git
along
,
Massa
Cap'n
,
”
said
Vespasian
.
“
You
berry
good
man
,
ridicalous
good
man
;
and
dis
child
ar'nt
no
gardening
angel
at
all
;
he
ar
a
darned
Anatomy
”
(
with
such
a
look
of
offended
dignity
at
Fullalove
)
.
After
examining
the
field
of
battle
and
comparing
notes
,
they
mounted
Dodd
on
Vespasian
's
horse
,
and
walked
quietly
till
Dodd
's
head
got
better
;
and
then
they
cantered
on
three
abreast
,
Vespasian
in
the
middle
with
one
sinewy
hand
on
each
horse
's
mane
;
and
such
was
his
muscular
power
,
that
he
often
relieved
his
feet
by
lifting
himself
clean
into
the
air
,
and
the
rest
of
the
time
his
toe
but
touched
the
ground
,
and
he
sailed
like
an
ostrich
and
grinned
and
chattered
like
a
monkey
.
Sad
to
relate
,
neither
Thibout
nor
Moinard
was
ended
.
The
guillotine
stood
on
its
rights
.
Meantime
,
what
was
left
of
them
crawled
back
to
the
town
stiff
and
sore
,
and
supped
together
—
Moinard
on
liquids
only
—
and
vowed
revenge
on
all
wrecked
people
.
The
three
reached
Boulogne
in
time
for
the
Nancy
,
and
put
Dodd
on
board
:
the
pair
decided
to
go
to
the
Yankee
Paradise
—
Paris
.
They
parted
with
regret
and
tenderly
,
like
old
tried
friends
;
and
Vespasian
told
Dodd
,
with
tears
in
his
eyes
,
that
though
he
was
in
point
of
fact
only
a
darned
Anemo
,
he
felt
like
a
coloured
gemman
at
parting
from
his
dear
old
Captain
.
The
master
of
the
Nancy
knew
Dodd
well
,
and
gave
him
a
nice
cot
to
sleep
in
.
He
tumbled
in
with
a
bad
headache
and
quite
worn
out
,
and
never
woke
for
fifteen
hours
.
And
when
he
did
wake
,
he
was
safe
at
Barkington
.
He
and
It
landed
on
the
quay
.
He
made
for
home
.
On
the
way
he
passed
Hardie
's
bank
,
a
firm
synonymous
in
his
mind
with
the
Bank
of
England
.
A
thrill
of
joy
went
through
him
.
Now
it
was
safe
.
When
he
first
sewed
It
on
in
China
,
It
seemed
secure
nowhere
except
on
his
own
person
.
But
since
then
,
the
manifold
perils
by
sea
and
land
It
had
encountered
through
being
on
him
,
had
caused
a
strong
reaction
in
his
mind
on
that
point
.
He
longed
to
see
It
safe
out
of
his
own
hands
and
in
good
custody
.
He
made
for
Hardie
's
door
with
a
joyful
rush
,
waved
his
cap
over
his
head
in
triumph
,
and
entered
the
bank
with
It
.
Ah
!
CHAPTER
XV
CHRONOLOGY
.
—
The
Hard
Cash
sailed
from
Canton
months
before
the
boat
race
at
Henley
recorded
in
Chapter
I
.
,
but
it
landed
in
Barkington
a
fortnight
after
the
last
home
event
I
recorded
in
its
true
series
.
Now
this
fortnight
,
as
it
happens
,
was
fruitful
of
incidents
,
and
must
be
dealt
with
at
once
.
After
that
,
“
Love
”
and
“
Cash
,
”
the
converging
branches
of
this
story
,
will
flow
together
in
one
stream
.
Alfred
Hardie
kept
faith
with
Mrs.
Dodd
,
and
,
by
an
effort
she
appreciated
,
forbore
to
express
his
love
for
Julia
except
by
the
pen
.
He
took
in
Lloyd
's
shipping
news
,
and
got
it
down
by
rail
,
in
hopes
there
would
be
something
about
the
Agra
;
then
he
could
call
at
Albion
Villa
.
Mrs.
Dodd
had
given
him
that
loophole
:
meantime
he
kept
moping
for
an
invitation
,
which
never
came
.
Julia
was
now
comparatively
happy
,
and
so
indeed
was
Alfred
;
but
then
the
male
of
our
species
likes
to
be
superlatively
happy
,
not
comparatively
;
and
that
Mrs.
Dodd
forgot
or
perhaps
had
not
observed
.
One
day
Sampson
was
at
Albion
Villa
,
and
Alfred
knew
it
.
Now
,
though
it
was
a
point
of
honour
with
poor
Alfred
not
to
hang
about
after
Julia
until
her
father
's
return
,
he
had
a
perfect
right
to
lay
in
wait
for
Sampson
and
hear
something
about
her
;
and
he
was
so
deep
in
love
that
even
a
word
at
second-hand
from
her
lips
was
a
drop
of
dew
to
his
heart
.
So
he
strolled
up
towards
the
villa
.
He
had
nearly
reached
it
,
when
a
woman
ran
past
him
making
the
most
extraordinary
sounds
:
I
can
only
describe
it
as
screaming
under
her
breath
.
Though
he
only
saw
her
back
,
he
recognised
Mrs.
Maxley
.
One
back
differeth
from
another
,
whatever
you
may
have
been
told
to
the
contrary
in
novels
and
plays
.
He
called
to
her
:
she
took
no
notice
,
and
darted
wildly
through
the
gate
of
Albion
Villa
.
Alfred
's
curiosity
was
excited
,
and
he
ventured
to
put
his
head
over
the
gate
.
But
Mrs.
Maxley
had
disappeared
.
Alfred
had
half
a
mind
to
go
in
and
inquire
if
anything
was
the
matter
:
it
would
be
a
good
excuse
.
While
he
hesitated
,
the
dining-room
window
was
thrown
violently
up
,
and
Sampson
looked
out
.
“
Hy
!
Hardie
!
my
good
fellow
!
for
Heaven
's
sake
a
fly
,
and
a
fast
one
!
”
It
was
plain
something
very
serious
had
occurred
:
so
Alfred
flew
towards
the
nearest
fly-stand
.
On
the
way
,
he
fell
in
with
a
chance
fly
drawn
up
at
a
public-house
;
he
jumped
on
the
box
and
drove
rapidly
towards
Albion
Villa
.
Sampson
was
hobbling
to
meet
him
—
he
had
sprained
his
ankle
or
would
not
have
asked
for
a
conveyance
—
to
save
time
he
got
up
beside
Alfred
,
and
told
him
to
drive
hard
to
Little
Friar
Street
.
On
the
way
he
explained
hurriedly
:
Mrs.
Maxley
had
burst
in
on
him
at
Albion
Villa
to
say
her
husband
was
dying
in
torment
:
and
indeed
the
symptoms
she
gave
were
alarming
,
and
,
if
correct
,
looked
very
like
lockjaw
.
But
her
description
had
been
cut
short
by
a
severe
attack
,
which
choked
her
and
turned
her
speechless
and
motionless
,
and
white
to
the
very
lips
.
“
'
Oho
,
'
sis
I
,
'
brist-pang
!
'
And
at
such
a
time
,
ye
know
.
But
these
women
are
as
unseasonable
as
they
are
unreasonable
.
Now
,
angina
pictoris
or
brist-pang
is
not
curable
through
the
lungs
,
nor
the
stomick
,
nor
the
liver
,
nor
the
stays
,
nor
the
saucepan
,
as
the
bunglintinkerindox
of
the
schools
pretind
,
but
only
through
that
mighty
mainspring
the
Brain
;
and
instid
of
going
meandering
to
the
Brain
round
by
the
stomick
,
and
so
giving
the
wumman
lots
o
'
time
to
die
first
,
which
is
the
scholastic
practice
,
I
wint
at
the
Brain
direct
,
took
a
puff
o
'
chlorofm
put
m
'
arm
round
her
neck
,
laid
her
back
in
a
chair
—
she
did
n't
struggle
,
for
,
when
this
disorrder
grips
ye
,
ye
cant
move
hand
nor
foot
—
and
had
my
lady
into
the
land
of
Nod
in
half
a
minute
;
thin
off
t
'
her
husband
;
so
here
's
th
'
Healer
between
two
stools
—
spare
the
whipcord
,
spoil
the
knacker
!
—
it
would
be
a
good
joke
if
I
was
to
lose
both
pashints
for
want
of
a
little
unbeequity
,
would
n't
it
—
Lash
the
lazy
vagabin
!
—
Not
that
I
care
:
what
interest
have
I
in
their
lives
?
they
never
pay
:
but
ye
see
custom
's
second
nature
;
an
d'Ive
formed
a
vile
habit
;
I
've
got
to
be
a
Healer
among
the
killers
:
an
d'a
Triton
among
—
the
millers
.
Here
we
are
at
last
,
Hiven
be
praised
.
”
And
he
hopped
into
the
house
faster
than
most
people
can
run
on
a
good
errand
.
Alfred
flung
the
reins
to
a
cad
and
followed
him
.
The
room
was
nearly
full
of
terrified
neighbours
:
Sampson
shouldered
them
all
roughly
out
of
his
way
,
and
there
,
on
a
bed
,
lay
Maxley
's
gaunt
figure
in
agony
.
His
body
was
drawn
up
by
the
middle
into
an
arch
,
and
nothing
touched
the
bed
but
the
head
and
the
heels
;
the
toes
were
turned
back
in
the
most
extraordinary
contortion
,
and
the
teeth
set
by
the
rigour
of
the
convulsion
,
and
in
the
man
's
white
face
and
fixed
eyes
were
the
horror
and
anxiety
,
that
so
often
show
themselves
when
the
body
feels
itself
in
the
grip
of
Death
.
Mr.
Osmond
the
surgeon
was
there
;
he
had
applied
a
succession
of
hot
cloths
to
the
pit
of
the
stomach
,
and
was
trying
to
get
laudanum
down
the
throat
,
but
the
clenched
teeth
were
impassable
.
He
now
looked
up
and
said
politely
,
“
Ah
!
Dr.
Sampson
,
I
am
glad
to
see
you
here
.
The
seizure
is
of
a
cataleptic
nature
,
I
apprehend
.
The
treatment
hitherto
has
been
hot
epithems
to
the
abdomen
,
and
—
—
”
Here
Sampson
,
who
had
examined
the
patient
keenly
,
and
paid
no
more
attention
to
Osmond
than
to
a
fly
buzzing
,
interrupted
him
as
unceremoniously
—
“
Poisoned
,
”
said
he
philosophically
.
“
Poisoned
!
!
”
screamed
the
people
.
“
Poisoned
!
”
cried
Mr.
Osmond
,
in
whose
little
list
of
stereotyped
maladies
poisoned
had
no
place
.
“
Is
there
any
one
you
have
reason
to
suspect
?
”
“
I
do
n't
suspect
,
nor
conject
,
sir
:
I
know
.
The
man
is
poisoned
,
the
substance
strychnine
.
Now
stand
out
of
the
way
you
gaping
gabies
,
and
let
me
work
.
Hy
,
young
Oxford
!
you
are
a
man
:
get
behind
and
hold
both
his
arms
for
your
life
!
That
's
you
!
”
He
whipped
off
his
coat
laid
hold
of
Osmond
's
epithems
,
chucked
them
across
the
room
,
saying
,
“
You
may
just
as
well
squirt
rose-water
at
a
house
on
fire
;
”
drenched
his
handkerchief
with
chloroform
,
sprang
upon
the
patient
like
a
mountain
cat
and
chloroformed
him
with
all
his
might
.
Attacked
so
skilfully
and
resolutely
,
Maxley
resisted
little
for
so
strong
a
man
;
but
the
potent
poison
within
fought
virulently
:
as
a
proof
,
the
chloroform
had
to
be
renewed
three
times
before
it
could
produce
any
effect
.
At
last
the
patient
yielded
to
the
fumes
and
became
insensible
.
Then
the
arched
body
subsided
and
the
rigid
muscles
relaxed
and
turned
supple
.
Sampson
kneaded
the
man
like
dough
by
way
of
comment
.
“
It
is
really
very
extraordinary
,
”
said
Osmond
.
“
Mai
—
dearr
—
sirr
,
nothing
's
extraornary
t
'
a
man
that
knows
the
reason
of
iverything
.
”
He
then
inquired
if
any
one
in
the
room
had
noticed
at
what
intervals
of
time
the
pains
came
on
.
“
I
am
sorry
to
say
it
is
continuous
,
”
said
Osmond
.
“
Mai
—
dearr
—
sirr
,
nothing
on
airth
is
continuous
:
iverything
has
paroxysms
and
remissions
—
from
a
toothache
t
'
a
cancer
.
”
He
repeated
his
query
in
various
forms
,
till
at
last
a
little
girl
squeaked
out
,
“
If
—
you
—
-please
,
sir
,
the
throes
do
come
about
every
ten
minutes
,
for
I
was
a
looking
at
the
clock
;
I
carries
father
his
dinner
at
twelve
.
”
“
If
you
please
,
ma'am
,
there
's
half
a
guinea
for
you
for
not
being
such
an
'
ijjit
as
the
rest
of
the
world
,
especially
the
Dockers
.
”
And
he
jerked
her
half
a
sovereign
.
A
stupor
fell
on
the
assembly
.
They
awoke
from
it
to
examine
the
coin
,
and
see
if
it
was
real
,
or
only
yellow
air
.
Maxley
came
to
and
gave
a
sigh
of
relief
.
When
he
had
been
insensible
,
yet
out
of
pain
,
nearly
eight
minutes
by
the
clock
,
Sampson
chloroformed
him
again
.
“
I
'll
puzzle
ye
,
my
friend
strych
,
”
said
he
.
“
How
will
ye
get
your
perriodical
paroxysms
when
the
man
is
insensible
?
The
Dox
say
y
'
act
direct
on
the
spinal
marrow
.
Well
,
there
's
the
spinal
marrow
where
you
found
it
just
now
.
Act
on
it
again
,
my
lad
!
I
give
ye
leave
—
if
ye
can
.
Ye
ca
n't
;
bekase
ye
must
pass
through
the
Brain
to
get
there
:
and
I
occupy
the
Brain
with
a
swifter
ajint
than
y
'
are
,
and
mean
to
keep
y
'
out
of
it
till
your
power
to
kill
evaporates
,
being
a
vigitable
.
”
With
this
his
spirits
mounted
,
and
he
indulged
in
a
harmless
and
favourite
fiction
:
he
feigned
the
company
were
all
males
and
medical
students
,
Osmond
included
,
and
he
the
lecturer
.
“
Now
,
jintlemen
,
”
said
he
,
“
obsairve
the
great
Therey
of
the
Perriodeecity
and
Remitteney
of
all
disease
,
in
conjunckshin
with
its
practice
.
All
diseases
have
paroxysms
and
remissions
,
which
occur
at
intervals
;
sometimes
it
's
a
year
,
sometimes
a
day
,
an
hour
,
ten
minutes
;
but
whatever
th
'
interval
,
they
are
true
to
it
:
they
keep
time
.
Only
when
the
disease
is
retirin
,
the
remissions
become
longer
,
the
paroxysms
return
at
a
greater
interval
,
and
just
the
revairse
when
the
pashint
is
to
die
.
This
,
jintlemen
,
is
man
's
life
from
the
womb
to
the
grave
:
the
throes
that
precede
his
birth
are
remittent
like
ivery
thing
else
,
but
come
at
diminished
intervals
when
he
has
really
made
up
his
mind
to
be
born
(
his
first
mistake
,
sirs
,
but
not
his
last
)
;
and
the
paroxysms
of
his
mortal
disease
come
at
shorter
intervals
when
he
is
really
goon
off
the
hooks
:
but
still
chronometrically
;
just
as
watches
keep
time
whether
they
go
fast
or
slow
.
Now
,
jintlemen
,
is
n't
this
a
beautiful
Therey
?
”
“
Oh
,
mercy
!
Oh
,
good
people
help
me
!
Oh
,
Jesus
Christ
have
pity
on
me
!
”
And
the
sufferer
's
body
was
bent
like
a
bow
,
and
his
eyes
filled
with
horror
,
and
his
toes
pointed
at
his
chin
.
The
Doctor
hurled
himself
on
the
foe
.
“
Come
,
”
said
he
,
“
smell
to
this
,
lad
!
That
's
right
!
He
is
better
already
,
jintlemen
,
or
he
could
n't
howl
,
ye
know
.
Deevil
a
howl
in
um
before
I
gave
um
puff
chlorofm
.
Ah
!
would
ye
?
would
ye
?
”
“
Oh
!
oh
!
oh
!
oh
!
ugh
!
—
—
ah
!
”
The
Doctor
got
off
the
insensible
body
,
and
resumed
his
lecture
calmly
,
like
one
who
has
disposed
of
some
childish
interruption
.
“
And
now
to
th
'
application
of
the
Therey
:
If
the
poison
can
reduce
the
tin
minutes
'
interval
to
five
minutes
,
this
pashint
will
die
;
and
if
I
can
get
the
tin
minutes
up
t
'
half
hour
,
this
pashint
will
live
.
Any
way
,
jintlemen
,
we
wo
n't
detain
y
'
unreasonably
:
the
case
shall
be
at
an
end
by
one
o'clock
.
”
On
hearing
this
considerate
stipulation
,
up
went
three
women
's
aprons
to
their
eyes
.
“
Alack
!
poor
James
Maxley
!
he
is
at
his
last
hour
:
it
be
just
gone
twelve
,
and
a
dies
at
one
.
”
Sampson
turned
on
the
weepers
.
“
Who
says
that
,
y
'
ijjits
?
I
said
the
case
would
end
at
one
:
a
case
ends
when
the
pashint
gets
well
or
dies
.
”
“
Oh
,
that
is
good
news
for
poor
Susan
Maxley
;
her
man
is
to
be
well
by
one
o'clock
,
Doctor
says
.
”
Sampson
groaned
,
and
gave
in
.
He
was
strong
,
but
not
strong
enough
to
make
the
populance
suspend
an
opinion
.
Yet
,
methinks
it
might
be
done
:
by
chloroforming
them
.
The
spasms
came
at
longer
intervals
and
less
violent
,
and
Maxley
got
so
fond
of
the
essence
of
Insensibility
,
that
he
asked
to
have
some
in
his
own
hand
to
apply
at
the
first
warning
of
the
horrible
pains
.
Sampson
said
,
“
Any
fool
can
complete
the
cure
;
”
and
,
by
way
of
practical
comment
,
left
him
in
Mr.
Osmond
's
charge
;
but
with
an
understanding
that
the
treatment
should
not
be
varied
;
that
no
laudanum
should
be
given
;
but
,
in
due
course
,
a
stiff
tumbler
of
brandy
and
water
,
or
two
.
“
If
he
gets
drunk
,
all
the
better
;
a
little
intoxication
weakens
the
body
's
memory
of
the
pain
it
has
endured
,
and
so
expedites
the
cure
.
Now
off
we
go
to
th
'
other
.
”
“
The
body
's
memory
!
”
said
Mr.
Osmond
to
himself
:
“
what
on
earth
does
the
quack
mean
?
”
The
driver
de
jure
of
the
fly
was
not
quite
drunk
enough
to
lose
his
horse
and
vehicle
without
missing
them
.
He
was
on
the
look
out
for
the
robber
,
and
as
Alfred
came
round
the
corner
full
pelt
,
darted
at
the
reins
with
a
husky
remonstrance
,
and
Alfred
cut
into
him
with
the
whip
:
an
angry
explanation
—
a
guinea
—
and
behold
the
driver
sitting
behind
complacent
and
nodding
.
Arrived
at
Albion
Villa
,
Alfred
asked
Sampson
submissively
if
he
might
come
in
and
see
the
wife
cured
.
“
Why
,
of
course
,
”
said
Sampson
,
not
knowing
the
delicate
position
.
“
Then
ask
me
in
before
Mrs.
Dodd
,
”
murmured
Alfred
coaxingly
.
“
Oo
,
ay
,
”
said
the
Doctor
knowingly
:
“
I
see
.
”
Mrs.
Maxley
was
in
the
dining-room
:
she
had
got
well
of
herself
,
but
was
crying
bitterly
,
and
the
ladies
would
not
let
her
go
home
yet
;
they
feared
the
worst
and
that
some
one
would
blurt
it
out
to
her
.
To
this
anxious
trio
entered
Sampson
radiant
.
“
There
,
it
's
all
right
.
Come
,
little
Maxley
,
ye
need
n't
cry
;
he
has
got
lots
more
mischief
to
do
in
the
world
yet
;
but
,
O
wumman
,
it
is
lucky
you
came
to
me
and
not
to
any
of
the
tinkering
dox
.
No
more
cat
and
dog
for
you
and
him
but
for
the
Chronothairmal
Therey
.
And
you
may
bless
my
puppy
's
four
bones
too
:
he
ran
and
stole
a
fly
like
a
man
,
and
drove
hilter-skilter
.
Now
,
if
I
had
got
to
your
house
two
minutes
later
,
your
Jamie
would
have
lairned
the
great
secret
ere
this
.
”
He
threw
up
the
window
.
“
Haw
you
!
come
away
and
receive
the
applause
due
from
beauty
t
'
ajeelity
.
”
Alfred
came
in
timidly
,
and
was
received
with
perfect
benignity
and
self-possession
by
Mrs.
Dodd
,
but
Julia
's
face
was
dyed
with
blushes
,
and
her
eyes
sparkled
the
eloquent
praise
she
was
ashamed
to
speak
before
them
all
.
But
such
a
face
as
her
scarce
needed
the
help
of
a
voice
at
such
a
time
.
And
indeed
both
the
lovers
'
faces
were
a
pretty
sight
and
a
study
.
How
they
stole
loving
glances
,
but
tried
to
keep
within
bounds
,
and
not
steal
more
than
three
per
minute
!
and
how
unconscious
they
endeavoured
to
look
the
intervening
seconds
!
and
what
windows
were
the
demure
complacent
visages
they
thought
they
were
making
shutters
of
!
Innocent
love
has
at
least
this
advantage
over
melodramatic
,
that
it
can
extract
exquisite
sweetness
out
of
so
small
a
thing
.
These
sweethearts
were
not
alone
,
could
not
open
their
hearts
,
must
not
even
gaze
too
long
;
yet
to
be
in
the
same
room
even
on
such
terms
was
a
taste
of
Heaven
.
“
But
,
dear
heart
!
”
said
Mrs.
Maxley
,
“
ye
do
n't
tell
me
what
he
ailed
.
Ma'am
,
if
you
had
seen
him
you
would
have
said
he
was
taken
for
death
.
”
“
Pray
what
is
the
complaint
?
”
inquired
Mrs.
Dodd
.
“
Oh
,
did
n't
I
tell
ye
?
Poisoned
.
”
This
intelligence
was
conveyed
with
true
scientific
calmness
,
and
received
with
feminine
ejaculations
of
horror
.
Mrs.
Maxley
was
indignant
into
the
bargain
:
“
Do
n't
ye
go
giving
my
house
an
ill
name
!
We
keeps
no
poison
.
”
Sampson
fixed
his
eyes
sternly
on
her
:
“
Wumman
,
ye
know
better
:
ye
keep
strychnine
,
for
th
'
use
and
delectation
of
your
domestic
animal
.
”
“
Strychnine
!
I
never
heard
tell
of
it
.
Is
that
Latin
for
arsenic
?
”
“
Now
is
n't
this
lamentable
?
Why
,
arsenic
is
a
mital
;
strychnine
a
vigitable
.
N'hist
me
!
Your
man
was
here
seeking
strychnine
to
poison
his
mouse
;
a
harmless
,
domistic
,
necessary
mouse
.
I
told
him
mice
were
a
part
of
Nature
as
much
as
Maxleys
,
and
life
as
sweet
tit
as
tim
:
but
he
was
dif
to
scientific
and
chrisehin
preceps
;
so
I
told
him
to
go
to
the
Deevil
:
'
I
will
,
'
sis
he
,
and
went
t
'
a
docker
.
The
two
assassins
have
poisoned
the
poor
beastie
between
'
em
;
and
thin
,
been
the
greatest
miser
in
the
world
,
except
one
,
he
will
have
roasted
his
victim
,
and
ate
her
on
the
sly
,
imprignated
with
strychnine
.
'
I
'll
steal
a
march
on
t'other
miser
,
'
sis
he
;
and
that
's
you
:
t
'
his
brain
flew
the
strychnine
:
his
brain
sint
it
to
his
spinal
marrow
:
and
we
found
my
lorrd
bent
like
a
bow
,
and
his
jaw
locked
,
and
nearer
knowin
the
great
secret
than
any
man
in
England
will
be
this
year
to
live
:
and
sairves
the
assassinating
old
vagabin
right
.
”
“
Heaven
forgive
you
,
Doctor
,
”
said
Mrs.
Maxley
,
half
mechanically
.
“
For
curin
a
murrderer
?
Not
likely
.
”
Mrs.
Maxley
,
who
had
shown
signs
of
singular
uneasiness
during
Sampson
's
explanation
,
now
rose
,
and
said
in
a
very
peculiar
tone
she
must
go
home
directly
.
Mrs.
Dodd
seemed
to
enter
into
her
feelings
,
and
made
her
go
in
the
fly
,
taking
care
to
pay
the
fare
and
the
driver
out
of
her
own
purse
.
As
the
woman
got
into
the
fly
,
Sampson
gave
her
a
piece
of
friendly
and
practical
advice
.
“
Nixt
time
he
has
a
mind
to
breakfast
on
strychnine
,
you
tell
me
;
and
I
'll
put
a
pinch
of
arsenic
in
the
salt-cellar
,
and
cure
him
safe
as
the
bank
.
But
this
time
he
'd
have
been
did
and
stiff
long
before
such
a
slow
ajint
as
arsenic
could
get
a
hold
on
um
.
”
They
sat
down
to
luncheon
,
but
neither
Alfred
nor
Julia
fed
much
,
except
upon
sweet
stolen
looks
;
and
soon
the
active
Sampson
jumped
up
,
and
invited
Alfred
to
go
round
his
patients
.
Alfred
could
not
decline
,
but
made
his
adieux
with
regret
so
tender
and
undisguised
,
that
Julia
's
sweet
eyes
filled
,
and
her
soft
hand
instinctively
pressed
his
at
parting
to
console
him
.
She
blushed
at
herself
afterwards
,
but
at
the
time
she
was
thinking
only
of
him
.
Maxley
and
his
wife
came
up
in
the
evening
with
a
fee
.
They
had
put
their
heads
together
,
and
proffered
one
guinea
.
“
Man
and
wife
be
one
flesh
,
you
know
,
Doctor
,
”
said
the
rustic
miser
.
Sampson
,
whose
natural
choler
was
constantly
checked
by
his
humour
,
declined
this
profuse
proposal
.
“
Here
's
vanity
!
”
said
he
.
“
Now
do
you
really
think
your
two
lives
are
worth
a
guinea
?
Why
,
it
's
252
pence
!
1008
farthings
!
”
The
pair
affected
disappointment
—
vilely
.
At
all
events
,
he
must
accept
this
basket
of
gudgeons
Maxley
had
brought
along
.
Being
poisoned
was
quite
out
of
Maxley
's
daily
routine
,
and
had
so
unsettled
him
,
that
he
had
got
up
,
and
gone
fishing
—
to
the
amazement
of
the
parish
.
Sampson
inspected
the
basket
.
“
Why
,
they
are
only
fish
,
”
said
he
;
“
I
was
in
hopes
they
were
pashints
.
”
He
accepted
the
gudgeons
,
and
inquired
how
Maxley
got
poisoned
.
It
came
out
that
Mrs.
Maxley
,
seeing
her
husband
set
apart
a
portion
of
his
Welsh
rabbit
,
had
“
grizzled
,
”
and
asked
what
that
was
for
;
and
being
told
“
for
the
mouse
,
”
and
to
“
mind
her
own
business
,
”
had
grizzled
still
more
,
and
furtively
conveyed
a
portion
back
into
the
pan
for
her
master
's
own
use
.
She
had
been
quaking
dismally
all
the
afternoon
at
what
she
had
done
,
but
finding
Maxley
—
hard
but
just
—
did
not
attack
her
for
an
involuntary
fault
,
she
now
brazened
it
out
,
and
said
,
“
Men
did
n't
ought
to
have
poison
in
the
house
unbeknown
to
their
wives
.
Jem
had
got
no
more
than
he
worked
for
,
”
etc.
But
,
like
a
woman
,
she
vowed
vengeance
on
the
mouse
:
whereupon
Maxley
threatened
her
with
the
marital
correction
of
neck-twisting
if
she
laid
a
finger
on
it
.
“
My
eyes
be
open
now
to
what
a
poor
creature
do
feel
as
dies
poisoned
.
Let
her
a
be
:
there
's
room
in
our
place
for
her
and
we
.
”
Next
day
he
met
Alfred
,
and
thanked
him
with
warmth
,
almost
with
emotion
.
“
There
ai
n't
many
in
Barkington
as
ever
done
me
a
good
turn
,
Master
Alfred
;
you
be
one
on
'
em
:
you
comes
after
the
Captain
in
my
book
now
.
”
Alfred
suggested
that
his
claims
were
humble
compared
with
Sampson
's
.
“
No
,
no
,
”
said
Maxley
,
going
down
to
his
whisper
,
and
looking
,
monstrous
wise
:
“
Doctor
did
n't
go
out
of
his
business
for
me
:
you
did
.
”
The
sage
miser
's
gratitude
had
not
time
to
die
a
natural
death
before
circumstances
occurred
to
test
it
.
On
the
morning
of
that
eventful
day
which
concluded
my
last
chapter
,
he
received
a
letter
from
Canada
.
His
wife
was
out
with
eggs
;
so
he
caught
little
Rose
Sutton
,
that
had
more
than
once
spelled
an
epistle
for
him
;
and
she
read
it
out
in
a
loud
and
reckless
whine
:
“
'
At
—
noon
—
this
—
very
—
daie
—
Muster
—
Hardie
's
a-g-e-n-t
,
aguent
—
d-i-s
dis
,
h-o-n
—
honour
ed
—
dis-honour
ed
—
a
—
bill
;
and
sayed
.
'
”
Here
she
made
a
full
stop
.
Then
on
to
the
next
verse
.
“
'
There
—
were
no
—
more
—
asses
.
'
”
“
Mercy
on
us
!
but
it
ca
n't
be
asses
,
wench
:
drive
your
spe-ad
into't
again
.
”
“
'
A-s-s-e-t-s
.
Assets
.
'
”
“
Ah
!
Go
an
!
go
an
!
”
“
'
Now
—
Fatther
—
if
—
you
—
leave
—
a
s-h-i-l-l-i-n-g
,
shilling
—
at
—
Hardie
's
—
after
—
this
—
b-l-a-m-e
,
ble-am
—
your
—
self
—
not
—
me
—
for
—
this
—
is
—
the
—
waie
—
the
r-o-g-u-e-s
,
rogews
—
all
—
bre-ak
—
they
—
go
—
at
—
a
—
d-i-s-t-a-n-c-e
,
distance
—
first
—
and
—
then
—
at
—
h-o-m-e
,
whuoame
.
—
Dear
—
fatther
'
—
Lawk
o
'
daisy
,
what
ails
you
,
Daddy
Maxley
?
You
be
as
white
as
a
Sunday
smock
.
Be
you
poisoned
again
,
if
you
please
?
”
“
Worse
than
that
—
worse
!
”
groaned
Maxhey
,
trembling
all
over
.
“
Hush
!
—
hold
your
tongue
!
Give
me
that
letter
!
Do
n't
you
never
tell
nobody
nothing
of
what
you
have
been
a
reading
to
me
,
and
I
'll
—
I
'll
—
It
's
only
Jem
's
fun
:
he
is
allus
running
his
rigs
—
that
's
a
good
wench
now
,
and
I
'll
give
ye
a
halfpenny
.
”
“
La
,
Daddy
,
”
said
the
child
,
opening
her
eyes
,
“
I
never
heeds
what
I
re-ads
:
I
be
wrapped
up
in
the
spelling
.
Dear
heart
,
what
a
sight
of
long
words
folks
puts
in
a
letter
,
more
than
ever
drops
out
of
their
mouths
;
which
their
fingers
be
longer
than
their
tongues
,
I
do
suppose
.
”
Maxley
hailed
thus
information
characteristically
.
“
Then
we
'll
say
no
more
about
the
halfpenny
.
”
At
this
,
Rose
raised
a
lamentable
cry
,
and
pearly
tears
gushed
forth
.
