CHAPTER FORTY.
"HUZZA! WE'RE HOMEWARD BOUND!"
The first wet day there had been for a month. It seemed as if MotherNature had been saving up all her rain in a great cistern, and was thenletting it out at once.
No glorious sapphire seas and brilliant skies; no golden sunshinepouring down on tawny sands, over which waved the long pinnate leaves ofthe cocoa-nuts palms; no brilliant-coloured fish that seemed to bewaiting to be caught; no glorious life of freedom, with their boat toenable them to glide from isle to isle, where it was always summer; butrain, rain, rain, always rain, pouring down from a lead-black sky.
A dreary prospect, but not half so dreary as Dexter's spirits, as hethought of what was to come.
If ever boy felt miserable, he did that next morning, for they were allgoing back to Coleby. The romantic adventure was at an end, and he waslike a prisoner.
Why had he left the doctor's? What had he gained by it but misery andwretchedness. Bob had turned out one of the most contemptible cowardsthat ever stepped. He had proved to be a miserable tyrannical bullywhen they were alone; and in the face of danger a wretched cur; whilenow that they were caught he was ready to tell any lie to save his ownskin.
What would Helen say to him, and think of him? What would Mr Hippettssay--and Mr Sibery?
He would be sent back to the Union of course; and one moment he foundhimself wishing that he had never left the schools to be confronted withsuch misery as he felt now.
They were on their way back by rail. The doctor, who had not evenlooked at him, was in a first-class carriage with Sir James, and theplans being altered, and the boat sent up to Coleby by a trustworthyman, Bob and Dexter were returning in a second-class carriage, withtheir custodians, Peter and old Dan'l.
They were the sole occupants of the carriage, and soon after startingBob turned to Dexter--
"I say!" he exclaimed.
Dexter started, and looked at him indignantly--so angrily, in fact, thatBob grinned.
"Yer needn't look like that," he said. "If I forgives yer, and beginsto talk to yer, what more d'yer want!"
Dexter turned away, and looked out of the window.
"There's a sulky one!" said Bob, with a coarse laugh; and as he spoke itwas as if he were appealing to old Dan'l and Peter in turn. "He woulddo it. I tried to hold him back, but he would do it, and he made mecome, and now he turns on me like that."
"You're a nice un," said Peter, staring hard at the boy.
"So are you!" said the young scamp insolently. "You mind yer ownbusiness, and look arter him. He's got to look arter me--ain't yer,sir!"
"Yes," said old Dan'l sourly; "and I'm going to stuff a hankychy orsomething else into your mouth if you don't hold your tongue."
"Oh, are yer!" said Bob boldly. "I should just like to see yer do it."
"Then you shall if you don't keep quiet."
Bob was silent for a few minutes, and then amused himself by making aderisive grimace at Dan'l as soon as he was looking another way.
"It was all his fault," he said sullenly. "He would take the boat."
"Ah, there was about six o' one of you, and half a dozen of the other,"said Peter, laughing. "You'll get it, young fellow. Six weeks hardlabour, and then four years in a reformatory. That's about your dose."
"Is it?" said Bob derisively. "That's what he'll get, and serve himright--a sneak."
Dexter's cheeks, which were very pale, began to show spots of red, buthe stared out of the window.
"I shouldn't have gone, only he was allus at me," continued Bob."Allus. Some chaps ain't never satisfied."
Old Dan'l filled his pipe, and began to smoke.
"You'll get enough to satisfy you," said Peter. "I say, Dan'l, youwouldn't mind, would you?"
"Mind what?" grunted Dan'l.
"Giving me one of the noo brooms. One out o' the last dozen--the longswitchy ones. I could just cut the band, and make about three reg'larteasers out of one broom."
"What, birch-rods?" said Dan'l, with a sort of cast-iron knocker smile.
"Yes," said Peter.
"Mind? no, my lad, you may have two of 'em, and I should like to havethe laying of it on."
"Yah! would yer!" said Bob defiantly. "Dessay you would. I should liketo see yer."
"But you wouldn't like to feel it," said Peter. "My eye, you will openthat pretty mouth of yours! Pig-ringing'll be nothing to it."
"Won't be me," said Bob. "It'll be him, and serve him right."
Dexter's cheeks grew redder as he pictured the disgrace of a floggingscene.
"Not it," continued Peter. "You'll get all that. Sir James'll give ityou as sure as a gun. Won't he, Dan'l!"
"Ah!" ejaculated the old gardener. "I heerd him say over and over againthat ha wouldn't lose that boat for a hundred pounds. You'll get it, mygentleman!"
"No, I shan't, 'cause I didn't do it. He'll give it to him, and sarvehim right, leading me on to go with him, and boasting and bouncingabout, and then pretending he wanted to buy the boat, and saying he sentme with the money."
"So I did," cried Dexter, turning sharply round; "and you stole it, andthen told lies."
"That I didn't," said Bob. "I never see no money. 'Tain't likely.It's all a tale you made up, and--oh!"
Bob burst into a regular bellow of pain, for, as he had been speaking,he had edged along the seat a little from his corner of the carriage, tobring himself nearer Dexter, who occupied the opposite diagonal corner.As Bob spoke he nodded his head, and thrust his face forward at Dexterso temptingly, that, quick as lightning, the latter flung out his right,and gave Bob a back-handed blow in the cheek.
"Oh! _how_!" cried Bob; and then menacingly, "Here, just you do thatagain!"
Dexter's blood was up. There was a long course of bullying to avenge,and he did that again, a good deal harder, with the result that the yellBob emitted rose well above the rattle of the carriage.
"Well done, young un," cried Peter delightedly. "That's right. Give ithim again. Here, Dan'l, let 'em have it out, and we'll see fair!"
"No, no, no!" growled the old gardener, stretching out one hand, andcatching Bob by the collar, so as to drag him back into his corner--ajob he had not the slightest difficulty in doing. "None o' that.They'd be blacking one another's eyes, and there'd be a row."
"Never mind," cried Peter, with all the love of excitement of his class.
"No, no," said Dan'l. "No fighting;" and he gave Dexter a grim look ofsatisfaction, which had more kindness in it than any the boy had yetseen.
"Here, you let me get at him!" cried Bob.
"No, no, you sit still," said Dan'l, holding him back with one hand.
The task was very easy. A baby could have held Bob, in spite of thefurious show of struggling that he made, while, on the other hand, Petersat grinning, and was compelled to pass one arm round Dexter, and clasphis own wrist, so as to thoroughly imprison him, and keep him back.
"Better let 'em have it out, Dan'l," he cried. "My one's ready."
"Let me go. Let me get at him," shrieked Bob.
"Yes, let him go, Dan'l," cried Peter.
But Dan'l shook his head, and as Bob kept on struggling and utteringthreats, the old man turned upon him fiercely--
"Hold your tongue, will you?" he roared. "You so much as say anotherword, and I'll make you fight it put."
Bob's jaw dropped, and he stared in astonishment at the fierce facebefore him, reading therein so much determination to carry the threatinto effect that he subsided sulkily in his corner, and turned away hisface, for every time he glanced at the other end of the carriage it wasto see Peter grinning at him.
"Ah!" said Peter at last; "it's a good job for us as Dan'l held youback. You made me shiver."
Bob scowled.
"He's thoroughbred game, he is, Dan'l."
Dan'l chuckled.
"He'd be a terrible chap when his monkey was up. Oh, I am glad. He'dha' been sure to win."
"Let him alone," g
rowled Dan'l, with a low chuckling noise that soundedsomething like the slow turning of a weak watchman's rattle; and thenmuttering something about white-livered he subsided into his corner, andsolaced himself with his pipe.
Meanwhile Peter sat opposite, talking in a low tone to Dexter, and beganto ask him questions about his adventures, listening with the greatesteagerness to the short answers he received, till Dexter looked up at himpiteously.
"Don't talk to me, please, Peter," he said. "I want to sit and think."
"And so you shall, my lad," said the groom; and he too took out a pipe,and smoked till they reached Coleby.
Dexter shivered as he stepped out upon the platform. It seemed to himthat the stationmaster and porters were staring at him as the boy whoran away, and he was looking round for a way of retreat, so as to escapewhat was to come, when Sir James and the doctor came up to them.
"You can let that boy go," said the doctor to Dan'l.
"Let him go, sir?" cried the gardener, looking at both the gentlemen inturn.
Sir James nodded.
Bob, whose eyes had been rat-like in their eager peering from face toface, whisked himself free, darted to the end of the platform, anduttered a loud yell before he disappeared.
"Look here, Dexter," said the doctor coldly; "I have been talking to SirJames on our way here. Now sir, will you give me your word not to tryand escape?"
Dexter looked at him for a moment or two.
"Yes, sir," he said at last, with a sigh.
"Then come with me."
"Come with you, sir?"
Dexter looked at his stained and muddy clothes.
"Yes," said the doctor; "come with me."
Sir James shrugged his shoulders slightly, and gave the doctor a meaninglook.
"Good-bye, Grayson," he said, and he shook hands.
"As for you, sir," he added sternly, as he turned to Dexter, "you andyour companion have had a very narrow escape. If it had not been foryour good friend here, matters would have gone ill with you--worseperhaps than you think."
Dexter hung his head, and at a sign from the doctor went to his side,and they walked out of the station with Dan'l and Peter behind.
The doctor stopped.
"You have given me your word, sir, that you will come quietly up to thehouse," he said coldly.
"Yes, sir," said Dexter sadly.
The doctor, signed to Dan'l and Peter to come up to them.
"You can go on first," he said; and the men passed on.
"I don't want you to feel as if you were a prisoner, Dexter," said thedoctor gravely. "It is one of the grandest things in a gentleman--hisword--which means his word of honour."
Dexter had nothing he could say; and with a strange swelling at thethroat he walked on beside the doctor, gazing at the pavement a coupleof yards in front of him, and suffering as a sensitive boy would sufferas he felt how degraded and dirty he looked, and how many people in thetown must know of his running away, and be gazing at him, now that hewas brought back by the doctor, who looked upon him as a thief.
Every house and shop they passed was familiar. There were several ofthe tradespeople too standing at their doors ready to salute the doctor,and Dexter's cheeks burned with shame. His punishment seemed more thanhe could bear.
In another ten minutes they would be at the house, where Maria wouldopen the door, and give him a peculiar contemptuous look--the old looklargely intensified; and but for the doctor's words, and the promisegiven, the boy felt that he must have run away down the firstside-turning they passed.
Then, as Maria faded from his mental vision, pleasant old Mrs Millettappeared, with her hands raised, and quite a storm of reproaches readyto be administered to him, followed, when she had finished and forgivenhim, as he knew she would forgive him, by a dose of physic, deemed byher to be absolutely necessary after his escapade.
The house at last, and everything just as Dexter had anticipated. Mariaopened the door, and then wrinkled up her forehead and screwed up herlips in a supercilious smile.
"Your mistress in!" said the doctor.
"Yes, sir, in the drawing-room, sir."
"Hah!" ejaculated the doctor.
"Found him, sir? _And_ brought him back!" cried a familiar voice; andMrs Millett hurried into the hall. "O you bold, bad boy!" she cried."How dare you? And you never took your medicine that night. Oh, forshame! for shame!"
"Hush, hush, Mrs Millett!" said the doctor sternly. "That will do."
He signed to the old lady, and she left the hall, but turned to shakeher head at the returned culprit as she went, while Maria gave him ameaning smile as soon as the doctor's back was turned, and then passedthrough the baize door.
The doctor stood there silent and frowning for a few minutes, with hiseyes fixed upon the floor, while Dexter awaited his sentence, painfullyconscious, and longing for the doctor to speak and put him out of hismisery.
"Now, sir," he said at last; "you had better go in and speak to MissGrayson. She is waiting, I suppose, to see you in that room. I sentword we were coming."
"No, no," said Dexter quickly. "Don't send me in there, sir. You'dbetter send me back to the school, sir. I'm no good, and shall only getinto trouble again; please send me back. I shouldn't like to see MissGrayson now."
"Why not!" said the doctor sternly.
"Because you don't believe me, sir, and she won't, and--and--you hadbetter send me back."
"I am waiting to see you here, Dexter," said Helen gravely, and the boystarted away with a cry, for the drawing-room door had opened silently,and Helen was standing on the mat.