STORY TWO, CHAPTER SEVEN.
A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY.
Mr Barclay had been gone three weeks, and no news from him; and I wasbeginning to think that he had gone off in a huff all at once, though Ioften wondered how he would manage for want of money, when one night, asI sat nursing Tom, I thought I'd look through my desk, that I hadn'topened for three or four years, and have a look at a few old things I'dgot there--a watch Sir John gave me, but which I never wore; sixspade-ace guineas; and an old gold pin, beside a few odds and ends thatI'd had for a many years; and some cash. Tom didn't seem to like it,and he stared hard at the desk as I took it on my knees, opened it,lifted one of the flaps, and put my hand upon the old paper whichcontained the statement about the old gold plate. No; I did not. I putmy hand on the place where it ought to have been; but it wasn't there.
"I must have put it in the other side," I said to myself; and I openedthe other lid.
Then I turned cold, and ran my hand here and there, wild-like, to stopat last with my mouth open, staring. The paper was gone! So was themoney, and every article of value that I had hoarded up.
For a few minutes I was too much stunned even to think; and when at lastI could get my brain to work, I sat there, feeling a poor, broken, weakold man, and I covered my face with my hands and cried like a child.
"To think of it!" I groaned at length--"him so handsome and so young--him whom I'd always felt so proud of--proud as if he'd been my own son.Why, it would break his father's heart if he knew. It's that woman'sdoing," I cried savagely. "She turned his head, or he'd never have donesuch a cruel, base, bad act as to rob a poor old man like me." For I'drecollected lending Mr Barclay my keys, and I felt that sooner than askhis father for money, he had taken what he could find, and gone. "Lethim!" I said savagely at last. "But he needn't have stolen them. I'dhave given him everything I'd got. I'd have sold out the hundred poundsI've got in the bank and lent him that. But he didn't know what he wasdoing, poor boy. That woman has turned his brain."
"Ah, well!" I said at last bitterly, "it's my secret. Sir John shallnever know. He trusted me with one, and now his son--" I stopped shortthere, for I recollected the paper, and fell all of a tremble, thinkingof that gold plate, and that some one else knew of its hiding-place now;and I asked myself what I ought to do. For a long time I struggled; butat last I felt that, much as I wanted to hide Mr Barclay's cruelly meanact, I must not keep this thing a secret. "It's my duty to tell mymaster," I said at last, "and I must." So I went up to where Sir Johnwas sitting alone, pretending to enjoy his wine, but looking very yellowand old and sunken of face. "He's fretting about Master Barclay," Isaid to myself, and I felt that I could not tell him that the lad hadtaken my little treasures, but that he must know about the paper, so Iup and told him only this at once; and that's why he said I was an oldfool, and that it was all my fault.
"You old fool!" he cried excitedly, "what made you write such a paper?It was like telling all the world."
"I thought it would be so shocking, Sir John, if we were both to die andthe things were forgotten."
"Shocking? Be a good job," he cried. "A man who has a lot of gold inhis care is always miserable.--Taken out of your desk, you say. When?"
"Ah, that I can't tell, Sir John. It might have been done years ago,for aught I know."
"And the old gold plate all stolen and melted down, and spent. Herehave I been thinking you a trustworthy man. There; we must see to it atonce. I shan't rest till I know it is safe."
It seemed to me then that he snatched at the chance of finding somethingto do to take his attention off his trouble, for when I asked him if Ishould get a bricklayer to come in, he turned upon me like a lion."Burdon," he said, "we'll get this job done, and then I shall have tomake arrangements for you to go into an imbecile ward."
"Very good, Sir John," I said patiently.
"Very good!" he cried, laughing now. "There; be off, and get togetherwhat tools you have, and as soon as the servants have gone to bed, we'llgo and open the old cellar ourselves."