CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
"Here! Hi! Hold hard!"
Pierce Leigh paid no heed to the hails which reached his ears as he wascrossing Bedford Square one morning; but he stopped short and turnedangrily when a hand was laid heavily upon his shoulder, to find himselfface to face with Claud Wilton, who stood holding out his hand.
"I saw you staring up at Uncle Robert's old house, but it's of no use tolook there."
"What do you mean, sir?" said Leigh sternly.
"Get out! You know. Well, aren't you going to shake hands?"
There was something so frank and open in the young man's look and mannerthat Leigh involuntarily raised his hand, and before a flash ofrecollection could telegraph his second intent it was seized and wrung,vigorously.
"That's better, Doctor," cried Claud. "How are you?"
"Oh, very well," said Pierce shortly.
"Well, you don't look it. No, no, don't give a fellow the cold shoulderlike that. I say, I came ever so long ago and called on the new peoplehere, for I thought perhaps she might have been to her old home, but itwas only a fancy. No go; she hadn't been there."
"You will excuse me, Mr Wilton," said Pierce, coldly; "I am busy thismorning--a patient. I wish you good day."
"No, you don't. I've had trouble enough to find you, so no coldshoulder, please. It's no good, for I won't lose sight of you now. Isay: it was mean to cut away from Northwood like you did."
"Will you have the goodness to point out which road you mean to take,Mr Wilton," said Leigh, wrathfully, "and then I can choose another?"
"No need, Doctor; your road's my road, and I'll stick to you like a`tec'."
Leigh's eyes literally flashed.
"There, it's of no use for you to be waxy, Doctor, because it won't do abit of good. I've got a scent like one of my retrievers; and I've runyou down at last."
"Am I to understand then, sir, that you intend to watch me?" said Leigh,sternly.
"That's it. Of course I do. I've been at it ever since you left theold place. When I make up my mind to a thing I keep to it--stubborn aspollard oak."
"Indeed," said Leigh, sarcastically; "and now you have found me, praywhat do you want?"
"Jenny!" said Claud, with the pollard oak simile in voice and look.
"Confound your insolence, sir!" cried Leigh, fiercely. "How dare youspeak of my sister like that?"
"'Cause I love her, Doctor, like a man," and there was a slight quiverin the speaker's voice; but his face was hard and set, and when he spokenext his words sounded firm and stubborn enough. "I told her so, and Itold you so; and whether she'll have me some day, or whether she won't,it's all the same, I'll never give her up. She's got me fast."
In spite of his anger, Leigh could not help feeling amused, and Claudsaw the slight softening in his features, and said quickly: "I say, tellme how she is."
"My sister's health is nothing to you, sir, and I wish you goodmorning."
He strode on, but Claud took step for step with him, in spite of hisanger.
"It's of no use, Doctor, and you can't assault me here in London. Ishall find out where you live, so you may just as well be civil. Tellme how she is."
Leigh made no reply, but walked faster.
"Her health nothing to me," said Claud, in a low, quick way. "You don'tknow; and I shan't tell you, because you wouldn't believe, and wouldlaugh at me. I say, how would you like it if someone treated you likethis about Kate?"
"Silence, sir! How dare you!" thundered Leigh, facing round sharply andstopping short.
"Don't shout, Doctor; it will make people think we're rowing, andcollect a crowd. But I say, that was a good shot; had you there.Haven't found her yet, then?"
"My good fellow, will you go your way, and let me go mine?"
"In plain English, Doctor, no, I won't; and if you knock me down I'llget up again, put my hands in my pockets, and follow you wherever yougo. I shan't hit out again, though I am in better training and can usemy fists quicker than, you can, and I've got the pluck, too, as I couldshow you. Do just what you like, call me names or hit me, but I shan'tnever forget you're Jenny's brother. Now, I say, don't be a brute to apoor fellow. It ain't so much of a sin to love the prettiest, dearest,little girl that ever breathed."
"Will you be silent?"
"Oh, yes, if you'll talk to a fellow. You might be a bit more feeling,seeing you're in the same boat."
"You insufferable cad!" cried Leigh, furiously.
"Yes, that's it. Quite right--cad; that's what I am, but I'm trying topolish it off, Doctor. I say, tell me how she is. She was so bad."
"My sister has quite recovered."
"Hooray!" cried Claud, excitedly. "But, I say--the ankle. How is it?"
"Look here, my good fellow, you must go. I will not answer yourquestions. Are you mad or an idiot?"
"Both," said Claud, coolly. "I say, you know, about that ankle. Ibelieve you were so savage that night that you kicked it and broke it."
"What!" cried Leigh, excitedly. "My good fellow, what do you take mefor?"
"Her brother, with an awful temper. Her father would not treat me likeyou do, if he was alive. It was a cowardly, cruel act for a man to do."
"You are quite mistaken, sir," said Leigh, coldly, as he wondered tohimself that he should be drawn out like this. "My sister wasunfortunate enough to sprain her ankle."
"Glad of it," said Claud, bluntly. "I was afraid it was your doing, andwhenever I see you it sets my monkey up and makes me want to kick you.Well, you've told me how she is, and that's some pay for all my huntingabout in town. I say, there's another chap down at Northwood steppedinto your shoes already. The mater has had him in for the guv'nor'sgout. He caught a cold up here with the hunting for Kate. It turned togout, and I've had all the hunting to do. Now you and I will join handsand run her down."
Leigh made an angry gesture, which was easy enough to interpret--"How amI to get rid of this insolent cad?"
Claud laughed.
"You can't do it," he said. "I say, Doctor, sink the pride, and allthat sort of thing. It's of no use to refuse help from a fellow youdon't like, if he's in earnest and means well. Now, just look here.'Pon my soul, it's the truth. Kate Wilton has got a hundred and fiftythou., and your sister hasn't got a penny. I'm not such a fool as youthink, for I can read you like a book. You were gone on Cousin Katelong before you were asked to our house, and you'd give your life tofind her; and, mind, I don't believe it's for the sake of her money.Well, I'm doing all I can to find her, and have been ever since you cameaway. Why? I'll tell you. Because it will please little Jenny, whoabout worships you, though you don't deserve it. And I tell you this,Doctor: if I had found her I'd have come and told you straight--if Icould have found you, for Jenny's sake."
Leigh looked at him fixedly, trying hard to read the young man's face,but there was no flinching, no quivering of eyelid, or twitch about thelips. Claud gazed at him with a straightforward, dogged look whichcarried with it conviction.
"Look here," sud Claud, "I haven't found out where she is."
"Indeed?" said Leigh, guardedly.
"But I've found out one thing."
With all the young doctor's mastery of self, he could not help aninquiring glance.
Claud saw it, and smiled.
"She did not go off with Harry Dasent I found out that."
Leigh remained silent.
"Ara now look here. I've gone over it all scores of times, trying tothink out where she can be, and that there's some relation or friend shebolted off to so as to get away from us, but I can't fix it on anyone,and go where I will, from our cousins the Morrisons down to oldGarstang--who's got the guv'nor under has thumb, and could sell us upto-morrow if he liked--I can't get at it. But the scent seems to bemost toward old Garstang, and I mean to try back there. The guv'norsaid it was his doing, to help Harry Dasent, but that's all wrong.Those two hate one another like poison, and I can't make out any reasonwhich would set Ga
rstang to work to get her away. He'd do it like ashot to get her money, but he can't touch that, for I've read the willagain. Nobody but her husband can get hold of that bit of booty, and Iwish you may get it. I do, 'pon my soul. Still, I'm growing to thinkmore and more that foxy Garstang's the man."
They had been walking steadily along side by side while thisconversation was going on, and at last, fully convinced that Claud wouldnot be shaken off, and even if he were would still watch him, Leighwalked straight on to his new home, and stopped short at a door whereonwas a new brass plate, while the customary red bull's-eyes were in thelamp like danger signals to avert death and disease--the accidents oflife's great railway.
"Now, Mr Wilton," he said, shortly, "you have achieved your purpose andtracked me home."
"And no thanks to you," said Claud, with one of his broad grins. "Won'task me in, I suppose?"
"No, sir, I shall not."
"All right I didn't expect you would. Of course I should have found youout some time from the directories."
"My name is not in them, sir."
"Oh, but it soon would be, Doctor. I say, shall you tell her you haveseen me?"
"For cool impudence, Mr Claud Wilton," said Leigh, by way of answer, "Ihave never seen your equal."
"'Tisn't impudence, Doctor," said Claud, earnestly; "it's pluck andbull-dog. I haven't been much account, and I don't come up to what youthink a fellow should be."
"You certainly do not," said Leigh, unable to repress a smile.
"I know that, but I've got some stuff in me, after all, and when I takehold I don't let go."
He gave Leigh a quick nod, and thrusting his hands into his pockets,walked right on, without looking back, Leigh watching him till he turneda corner, before taking out a latch-key and letting himself into thehouse.
"The devil does not seem so black as he is painted, after all," he said,as he wiped his feet, and at the sound Jenny, quite without crutches,came hurrying down the stairs.
"Oh, Pierce, dear, have you been to those people in Bedford Street?They've been again twice, and I told them you'd gone."
"Ugh!" ejaculated Leigh. "What a head I have! Someone met me on theway, and diverted my thoughts. I'll go at once."
And he hurried out.