CHAPTER XI.
AT THE CHARGE.
Strenuous vitality, strong pulse, thick skin, tough bone, and steadfastbrain, all elements of force and fortitude, were united in this Dr. Fox;and being thus endowed, and with ready money too, he felt more of angerthan of fear, when a quarrel was thrust upon him. While he waited alonefor the schoolmaster, he struck Mr. Penniloe's best dining-table with aheavy fist that made the dishes ring, and the new-fashioned candlesthrow spots of grease upon the coarse white diaper. Then he laughed athimself, and put a calm face on, as he heard the strong steps in thepassage.
"Sit here, Mr. Jakes," he said, pointing to a chair, as the Sergeantoffered him a stiff salute. "Mrs. Muggridge, you had better leave theroom. This is not a nice matter for ladies. Now Sergeant, what is allthis rotten stuff about me?"
"Not about you, sir, I hope with all my heart."
Mr. Jakes met the young man's flashing eyes, with a gaze thatreplied--"You don't scare me," and drew his chair close enough to studyevery feature. If the young man was full of wrath, so was the oldman--implacable wrath, at the outrage to his Colonel.
"Well, tell your pack of lies"--Fox was driven beyond himself, by theother's suspicious scrutiny--"oh, I beg your pardon, you believe themtrue, of course. But out with your stuff, like a man, sir!"
"It is your place to prove it a pack of lies;" said the old man, withhis shaggy eyebrows rigid as a line of British bayonets; "and if youcan't, by the God who made me, I'll run my old sword through yourheart."
"Rather hard upon me. Not got it here, I hope. Half an hour forrepentance, while you fetch it out of some cheese-toasting rack. A niceman to teach the youth of Perlycross! What a fool you are, Jakes! Butthat you can't help. Even a fool though may try to be fair. During yourlong time in the wars, were you ever accused wrongfully, my friend?"
"Yes, sir, a score of times. And I like your spirit. If you did whatthey say of you, you would be a cur. Every evil name you call me makesme think the better of you."
"I will call you no more; for I want no favour. All I want is truthabout this cursed outrage. Am I to wait all night for it? Now just tellyour tale, as if your were sitting at the _Ivy-bush_. You have been incommand of men, no doubt--just command yourself."
"That I will," said the veteran with an upward glance--"not like the_Ivy-bush_, but as before the Lord. Sir, I will command myself, as yourecommend; and perhaps you would be none the worse, for taking your ownmedicine."
"Jakes, you are right. It is enough to turn me savage. But you shall nothear me speak again, until you have finished."
"It was just like this, sir," began the Sergeant, looking round for aglass, by force of habit, and then ashamed of himself for such a thoughtjust now; "everybody in this parish knows how much I thought of ColonelWaldron; for a better and a braver man never trod this earth. EvenParson Penniloe will have to stand behind him, when the last mustercometh; because he hath not served his country. But I never wassatisfied with any of you doctors. You may be very well in your way, Mr.Fox, for toothing, or measles, or any young complaint; but where is yourexperience in times of peace? And as for that hang-dog looking chap fromLondon--well, I won't say what I thought of him; for I always keep myown opinions to myself. But I knew it was all over with our poorColonel, the moment I clapped eyes on that fellow. Why, I went myself atonce, and begged the Colonel to have him drummed out of the parish tothe rogue's tattoo. But the good Colonel only laughed, and shook myhand--the last time it was, sir, the very last time.
"You were at the funeral, and there never was a truer one. I was proudto my heart, though it felt like lead, to see three old Officers comefrom miles away, brave men as ever led a storming column, with tears intheir eyes, and not a thought of their own ends. There was nofiring-party as should have been, being nothing but peace going onnowadays, and only country bumpkins about here. But I see you areimpatient; because you know all that.
"As soon as all were gone away, and the ground put tidy, I brought a fewof my own white flowers, as they do in Spanish land, and put them invery carefully with a bit of moss below them, and fastened them so asnot to blow away, although there was a strong east wind up. Later on atnight, I came again by the little wicket from the schoolroom, just tosee that all was right; for my mind was uneasy somehow.
"The moon was going low, and it was getting very cold, and not a soulabout, that I could see. The flowers showed bright, at the head of themound; and close by was a little guardian--the Colonel's pet dog, thatcould never bear to leave him--she was lying there all in the cold byherself, sobbing every now and then, or as it were bewailing, with herchin along the ground, as if her heart was broken. It struck me so sad,that I could look at her no more.
"In the morning I slept past the usual time, being up so late, and outof spirits. But I saw the white frost on the ground, and I had a fewboys to correct before school began, and then lessons to see to tilltwelve o'clock; and it must have been turned the half hour, when I wentto Churchyard again, to see how my flowers had stood the frost. I hadbrought a bit of victuals in my pocket, for the dog; but little _Jess_was gone; and I could not blame her, considering how easily a manforgets his dog; and yet I was vexed with her, for being so like us; forthe poor things have no religion, such as we make smooth with. Myflowers were there; but not exactly as I thought I had put them; and thebank appeared to me to be made up sharper.
"Well, Mr. Fox, I am not one of them that notice little things upon theearth so much, (as if there was never any sky above them,) and make morefuss about a blade of grass, than the nature of men and good metal. Ithought that old Channing had been at work again, not satisfied with hisunderstrapper's job. Then I drew forth my flowers; and they lookedalmost, as if they had been tossed about the yard--crumpled almostanyhow, as well as scorched with frost.
"At this, I was angry, when I thought how kind the poor Colonel had beento that old stick of a clerk, and even let him muck up their liveries;and so I set off for the old man's cottage, to have a word or two withhim, about it. But he was not at home; and little Polly, hisgrand-daughter, was sure that he had not been near the church that day,but was gone to help dig Farmer John's potatoes.
"Then back I went again, in a terrible quandary, remembering the wickeddoings up the country, and the things that had come across my fancy inthe night.
"The first thing I saw, when I came back by south-gate, was a young man,red in the face, and out of breath, jumping, in and out, over graves andtombstones, from the west end, where the contractor's work is. 'What areyou doing, Bob?' said I, rebuking of him pretty strongly; for I saw thatit was one of my old boys, now become a trusty sort of groom atWalderscourt.
"'Sergeant, what have you been doing here?' says he 'Our little _Jess_has just come home, with one leg cut in two.'
"All my blood seemed to stand still, and I should have dropped, if Ihadn't laid hold of that very tombstone, which the Parson can't endure.The whole of it flashed upon me, in a moment; and a fool I must havebeen not to see it all before. But wicked as our men were, and wicked Imyself was--as I will not deny it, in the rough-and-tumble times--such ablackguard dastard crime was out of my conception. Considering who theColonel was; considering what he was, sir!"
The Sergeant turned away his face, and desired to snuff the candles. Nosnuffers were there, for this new invention was warranted not to wantthem. So he fumbled with his empty sleeve; but it would not come up toorder; and then he turned back, as if brought to bay, and reckless ofpublic opinion; with his best new handkerchief in his hand--a piece ofcotton goods imprinted with the Union-Jack in colours.
"My friend, you are a noble fellow," said Fox, with his own wrongs outof date, in the movement of large feeling. "Would to God, that I had anyone as true to me, as you are!"
"It is not that," resumed the Sergeant, trying to look stern again. "Itis the cursed cruelty, that makes me hate mankind, sir. That a manshould kill a poor dumb thing, because it loved its master--there,there, the Almighty will smite the brute; for all helpless things
belongto Him.
"Well, sir, I hardly know what happened next, or what I said to BobCornish. But he went round the wall, to fetch his horse; and the newsmust have spread, like wildfire. A young man, who had helped to make upthe grave, was going to his dinner through the Churchyard; and seeing usthere, he came and looked, and turned like a ghost, and followed us.Presently we were in the street, with half the village after us, goingto the chief Churchwarden's house; for we knew how ill the Parson was.At the cross-roads, we met Farmer John, and old Clerk Channing along ofhim, looking doiled as bad as we were, and between them the blacksmithfrom Susscot ford; and a terrible tale we had from them.
"Farmer John, as the head of the parish now, took the lead; and well hedid it. We went back by the big iron gate, and there we kept theoutsiders back; and Mr. Adney was as good with his, who were workingnear the tower. I was ordered to the eastern end, where the stone stileleads into Perlycombe lane, by which the villains must have got in; withno house there in view of it, but only the tumble-down Abbey. Somebodywas sent for my old sword, that I knocked away from the French officer,and now hangeth over the Commandments; and I swore that I would slashoff any hand, that was laid on the edge of the riser; while Adneybrought a pile of scaffold-cords, and enclosed all the likelihood offootprints.
"By this time the other Churchwarden was come, and they all put theirheads together, and asked what my opinion was; and I said--'Make nobones of it.' But they had done a wiser thing than that, with an eye tothe law, and the penalties. They had sent Bob Cornish on the fast younghorse, the Colonel thought so much of, to fetch the nearest Justice ofthe Peace, from his house this side of Perliton. Squire Mockham came, asstrong as he could ride, with his mind made up about it; and fourdigging men were set to work at once. Squire Mockham was as sharp aboutit, as if he had just had the lid taken off of him, by death of superiorofficer; and I, who had seen him on the Bench knock under, to half awink from the Colonel's eye, was vexed with the dignity he took over, byreason of being survivor.
"Clerk Channing will tell you more about the condition of thingsunderground, for I never made them my study; though I have helped tobury a many brave men, in the rough, both French and English. Mybusiness it was to keep people away; and while I was putting a sternface on, and looking fit to kill any of the bumpkins, the Lord knows Icould never have touched them, for my blood was as cold as snow-water.And when they sang up--'No Colonel here!' just as if it made nodifference--I dropped the French sword, and my flesh clave to my bones,the same as it did to King David. And ever since that, I have been fitfor Bedlam; and the boys may stand and make mouths at me."
"I can understand that," said Dr. Fox, with his medical instinctsmoving--generously, as they always do with a man worthy of that highcalling--"Jakes, you are in a depressed condition; and this exertion hasmade it worse. What you want is a course of carminatives. I will sendyou a bottle this very night. No more excitement for you at present. Layaside all thought of this sad matter."
"As if I could, sir; as if I could!"
"No, I am a fool for suggesting that. But think of it, as little as youcan. Above all things, go in for more physical exertion. Canehalf-a-dozen boys, before breakfast."
"There's a dozen and a half, sir, that have been neglected sadly."
"That will be a noble tonic. Making mouths at Sergeant Jakes! You lookbetter already, at the thought of doing duty, and restoring discipline."
"Talk about duty, sir! Where was I? Oh, if I had only gone out again; ifI had only gone out again, instead of turning into my bed, like asluggard! I shall never forgive myself for that."
"You would just have been killed; as poor _Jess_ was. Such scoundrelsthink nothing of adding murder to a crime still worse. But before you gohome--which is the best thing you can do, and have a dish of hot kidneysfrom your brother's shop--one thing I must ask; and you must answer.What lunatic has dared to say, that I had anything to do with this?"
"The whole parish is lunatic; if it comes to that, sir."
"And all the world, sometimes. But who began it? Jakes, you are a justman; or you could not be so loyal. Is it fair, to keep me in the dark,about the black things they are saying of me?"
"Sir, it is not. And I will tell you all I know; whatever enemies I maymake. When a thing flares about, you can seldom lay your hand on theman, or the woman, who fired the train. It was Crang, the shoeing smithat Susscot ford, who first brought your name into it."
"Crang is an honest, and a simple-minded man. He would never speakagainst me, of his own will. He has been most grateful for what I did,when his little girl had scarlet fever. How could he have started thiscursed tale?"
"From the evidence of his own eyes, sir; according at least to his useof them."
"Tell me what he saw, or thought he saw. He is not the man to tell alie. Whatever he said, he believed in."
Fox spoke without any anger now; for this could be no scheme of hisenemies.
"You are wonderful fair, sir;" said Sergeant Jakes. "You deserve tohave all above board; and you shall have it."
Tired as he was, and beginning to feel poorly at the threat of medicine,the old soldier told the blacksmith's tale, with as few variations ascan contrive to keep themselves out of a repetition. Fox began to seethat the case was not by any means so easy, as he first supposed. Herewas evidence direct against him, from an impartial witness; a talecoherent, and confirmed by facts independent of it, a motive easilyassigned; and the public eager to accept it, after recent horrors. Buthe was young, and warm of faith in friendship, candour, and good-will;or (if the worst should come to the worst) in absolute pure justice.
"It will not take long to put this to rights," he said, when theSergeant had finished his account. "No one can really have believed it,except that blockhead of a blacksmith. He was in a blue funk all thetime, and no need to be ashamed of it. There are two people I must seeto-night--Mr. Mockham, and that Joe Crang himself. I shall borrow ahorse from Walter Haddon; my young mare has had enough of it. I shallsee how the Parson looks before I go. Now go to bed, Sergeant, as I toldyou. To-morrow you will find all the wiseacres saying, what fools theyhave made of one another."
But the veteran shook his head, and said, "If a cat has nine lives, sir;a lie has ninety-nine."