the stokesley secret-第32章

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ute　firmness；　and　he　spoke　in　a　clear；　stern；　startling　voice；　that　made　all　the　children　quake；　and　some　catch　hold　of　each　other's　hands：　　〃Henry！　tell　me　what　you　have　done　with　your　theft！〃

Miserable　Henry！　　He　did　not　try　to　deny　it　any　longer；　but　burst　out　into　a　loud　sobbing　cry；　〃O　Papa！　　Papa！　　I　meant　to　have　put　it　back　again！　　I　couldn't　help　it！〃

〃Tell　me　what　you　have　done　with　it！〃　repeated　the　Captain。

〃II　paid　it　to　Farmer　Grice；　I　was　obliged；　and　I　thought　I　could　have　put　it　back　again；　and　some　of　it　was　my　own！〃

〃Fivepence…farthing！〃　cried　David。　　〃You　thief；　you！〃

The　child's　fists　were　clenched；　and　his　young　face　all　one　scowl　of　passion；　quite　shocking　to　see。　　His　father　put　him　aside；　and　said；　〃Hush；　David！　no　names。Now；　Henry；　what　do　you　say　to　your　sister　for　your　false　accusation；　which　has　thrown　your　own　shame　on　her？〃

〃Oh；　no；　no；　Papa；　he　never　did　accuse　me！〃　cried　Bessie；　for　the　first　time　bursting　into　tears。　　〃He　never　said　I　did　it；　that　was　only　Davie's　fancy；　and　it　has　made　Susie　and　Sam　so　kind；　I　have　not　minded　it　at　all。　　Please　don't　mind　that；　Papa！〃

〃Come　away；　Henry！〃　said　the　Captain；　〃now　that　your　sister　has　been　cleared；　we　had　better　have　the　rest　out　of　the　sight　of　these　tender…hearted　little　girls。〃

He　stood　up；　and　without　a　word；　stroked　down　Elizabeth's　smooth　brown　hair；　raised　her　face　up　by　the　chin；　and　kissed　her　forehead；　the　only　place　free　from　tears；　then　he　took　Henry　by　the　shoulder；　and　marched　him　out　of　the　room。　　Bessie　could　not　stop　herself　from　crying；　and　was　afraid　of　letting　Uncle　John　see　her；　so　she　flew　out　after　them；　and　straight　up…stairs　to　her　own　room。　　Miss　Fosbrook　and　Susan　both　longed　to　follow　her；　but　they　had　missed　this　opportunity；　and　the　sound　of　voices　outside　showed　so　plainly　that　the　Captain　and　Henry　were　in　the　hall　that　they　durst　not　open　the　door。

Everyone　was　appalled；　and　nothing　was　said　for　a　few　seconds。　　The　first　to　speak　was　Annie；　in　a　low；　terror…stricken　whisper；　yet　with　some　curiosity　in　it：　　〃I　wonder　what　Papa　will　do　to　him？〃

〃Give　him　nine　dozen；　I　hope！〃　answered　David　through　his　small　white　teeth；　all　clenched　together　with　rage。

〃For　shame；　Davie！〃　said　Susan；　〃you　should　not　wish　anything　so　dreadful　for　your　brother。〃

〃He　has　been　so　wicked！　　I　wish　it！　　I　WILL　wish　it！〃　said　David。

〃Hush；　David！〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　〃such　things　must　not　be　said。　　I　will　talk　to　you　by　and　by。〃

〃I　am　glad　poor　Bessie　is　cleared！〃　added　Susan；　〃though　I　always　knew　she　could　not　have　done　it。〃

〃To　be　sureI　knew　it　was　Hal！〃

〃Sam！　you　did？why　didn't　you　tell？〃　cried　Annie。

〃I　wasn'tto　saysure；〃　said　Sam；　〃and　I　couldn't　go　and　get　him　into　a　scrape。　　I　thought　he　might　tell　himself；　if　he　could　ever　make　up　the　money　again！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Susan；　〃he　would　have　done　that。　　He　always　fancied　he　should　get　a　sovereign　from　Colonel　Carey。〃

〃He　talked　till　he　thought　so；〃　said　Sam。

〃But　what　made　you　guess　he　had　done　so；　Sam？〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook。　〃I　did　suspect　him　myself；　but　I　never　felt　justified　in　accusing　him　of　such　a　thing。〃

〃I　don't　know！　　I　saw　he　had　been　getting　into　a　fix　with　those　Grevilles；　and　had　been　sold　somehow。　　They　said　something；　and　got　out　of　my　way　directly；　and　I　was　sure　they　had　done　some　mischief；　and　left　him　to　pay　the　cost。〃

〃Did　you　ask　him？〃　said　Susan。

〃What　was　the　use？　　One　never　knows　where　to　have　him。　　He　will　eat　up　his　words　as　fast　as　he　says　them；　with　his　AT　LEAST；　till　he　doesn't　know　what　he　means。　　Nor　I　didn't　want　to　know　much　of　it。〃

〃Still　I　can't　think　how　you　could　let　poor　Bessie　live　under　such　a　cloud；〃　said　Christabel。

〃You　didn't　believe　it；〃　said　Sam；　〃nor　anyone　worth　a　snap　of　my　finger。　　Besides；　if　I　had　known；　and　had　to　tell；　what　a　horrid　shame　it　would　have　been　if　the　naval　cadetship　had　been　to　be　had　for　him！　　I　knew　Bessie　would　have　thought　so　too；　and　then　he　would　have　been　out　of　the　way　of　the　Grevilles；　and　would　have　got　some　money　to　make　it　up。〃

〃Then　is　there　no　chance　of　the　cadetship　now？〃

〃Oh；　we　should　have　heard　of　it　long　ago　if　there　had　been！　　So　I　mind　the　coming　out　the　less；　but　it's　perfectly　abominable　to　have　had　all　this　row；　and　for　Papa　to　be　so　cut　up　in　this　little　short　time　at　home。〃

〃I　never　saw　him　more　grieved；〃　said　Mr。　Merrifield。　　〃He　was　hardly　more　overcome　when　your　mother　was　at　the　worst。〃

They　started；　for　they　had　forgotten　Uncle　John；　or　they　would　never　have　spoken　so　freely；　but　he　now　put　down　his　newspaper；　and　looked　as　if　he　meant　to　talk。

Susan　ventured　to　say；　〃And　indeed　they　had　all　been　so　very　good　before。　　The　pig　made　them　so。〃

〃A　learned　pig；　I　should　think；〃　said　her　uncle；　laughing　good…　naturedly。

〃We　were　obliged　to　take　care；〃　said　Susan；　〃or　we　got　so　many　fines。〃

Christabel；　finding　that　Mr。　Merrifield　looked　at　her；　helped　out　Susan　by　explaining　that　various　small　delinquencies　were　visited　with　fines；　and　that　the　desire　to　save　for　the　pig　had　rendered　the　children　very　careful。

〃Indeed；〃　she　said；　〃I　was　thankful　for　the　incentive；　but　I　am　afraid　that　it　was　over…worked；　and　did　harm　in　the　end：〃　and　she　glanced　towards　David。

〃It　is　the　way　with　secondary　motives；〃　was　the　answer。

Here　Captain　Merrifield　came　back　alone；　and　his　brother　was　the　only　person　who　ventured　to　say；　〃Well？〃

〃I　have　sent　him　to　his　room；〃　said　the　Captain。　　〃It　is　a　very　bad　business；　though　of　course　he　made　excuses　to　himself。〃

The　Captain　then　told　them　Henry's　confession。　　He　had　been　too　much　hurried　by　the　fear　of　being　caught；　to　take　out　his　own　share　of　the　hoard；　and　had　therefore　emptied　the　whole　cupful　into　his　pocket…　handkerchief；　tied　it　up；　and　run　off　with　it；　intending　to　separate　what　was　honestly　his　own。　　What　that　was　he　did　not　know；　but　his　boastful　habits　and　want　of　accuracy　had　made　his　memory　so　careless；　that　he　fancied　that　a　far　larger　proportion　was　his　than　really　was；　and　his　purposes　were　in　the　strange　medley　that　falls　to　the　lot　of　all　self…deceivers；　sometimes　fancying　he　would　only　take　what　he　had　a　right　to　（whatever　that　might　be）；　sometimes　that　he　would　borrow　what　he　wanted；　and　replace　it　when　the　sovereign　should　be　given　to　him；　or　that　the　Grevilles　would　make　it　up　when　they　had　their　month's　allowance。

When　he　came　to　the　farm　Mr。　Grice　was　resolved　to　take　nothing　less　than　the　whole　sum　that　he　had　with　him。　　Perhaps　this　was　less　for　the　value　of　the　turkey…cock　than　for　the　sake　of　giving　the　boys　such　a　lesson　as　to　prevent　them　from　ever　molesting　his　poultry　again。　　At　any　rate；　he　was　inexorable　till　the　frightened　Henry　had　delivered　up　every　farthing　in　his　possession；　and　then；　convinced　that　no　more　was　forthcoming；　he　relented　so　far　as　to　restore　the　gun；　and　promise　to　make　no　complaint　to　either　of　the　fathers。

At　first　Henry　lived　on　hopes　of　being　able　to　restore　the　money　before　the　hoard　should　be　examined；　but　Colonel　Carey　went　away；　and；　as　might　have　been　expected；　left　no　present　to　his　brother's　pupils。　　Still　Henry　had　hopes　of　the　Grevilles；　and　even　when　the　loss　was　discovered；　hoped　to　restore　it　secretly；　and　make　the　whole　pass　off　as　a　joke；　but　the　1st　of　August　came；　Martin　and　Osmond　received　their　pocket…money；　but　laughed　his　entreaty　to　scorn；　telling　him　that　he　had　shot　the　turkey…cock；　not　they。　　Since　that　time；　his　only　hope　had　been　in　the　affair　blowing　overas　if　a　sin　ever　DID　blow　over！

〃One　question　I　must　ask；　Miss　Fosbrook；〃　said　the　Captain；　〃though　after　such　a　course　of　deceit　it　hardly　makes　it　worse。　　Has　he　told　any　direct　falsehood？〃

She　paused；　and　recollected。　　〃Yes；　Sir；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　afraid　he　did；　he　flatly　told　me　that　he　had　not　touched　the　baby…house。〃

〃I　expected　nothing　else；〃　said　the　Captain　gravely。　　〃What　has　become　of　Bessie？〃

〃She　ran　up…stairs。　　May　I　go　and　call　her？〃　said　Susan。

〃I　will　go　myself；〃　said　her　father。

He　found　Elizabeth　in　the　school…room；　all　flushed　and　tear…stained　in　the　face；　and　he　told　her　affectionately　how　much　pleased　he　was　with　her　patience　under　this　false　accusation。　　Delight　very　nearly　set　her　off　cryin