England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
He went straight to Molly, from Mrs. Todhetley, a look on his face that,
when seen there, which was rare, the servants did not like. Deference
was rendered to Tod in the household. When anything should take off the
good old Pater, Tod would be master. What he said to Molly no one heard;
but the woman was banging at her brass things in a tantrum for three
days afterwards.
And when we went to see after poor Jake and his people, it was too late.
The man, the tent, the living people, and the dead child--all were
gone.
II.
FINDING BOTH OF THEM.
Worcester Assizes were being held, and Squire Todhetley was on the grand
jury. You see, although Dyke Manor was just within the borders of
Warwickshire, the greater portion of the Squire's property lay in
Worcestershire. This caused him to be summoned to serve. We were often
at his house there, Crabb Cot. I forget who was foreman of the jury that
time: either Sir John Pakington, or the Honourable Mr. Coventry.
The week was jolly. We put up at the Star-and-Garter when we went
to Worcester, which was two or three times a-year; generally at the
assizes, or the races, or the quarter-sessions; one or other of the busy
times.
The Pater would grumble at the bills--and say we boys had no business to
be there; but he would take us, if we were at home, for all that. The
assizes came on this time the week before our summer holidays were up;
the Squire wished they had not come on until the week after. Anyway,
there we were, in clover; the Squire about to be stewed up in the county
courts all day; I and Tod flying about the town, and doing what we
liked.
The judges came in from Oxford on the usual day, Saturday. And, to
make clear what I am going to tell about, we must go back to that
morning and to Dyke Manor. It was broiling hot weather, and Mrs.
Todhetley, Hugh, and Lena, with old Thomas and Hannah, all came on the
lawn after breakfast to see us start. The open carriage was at the
door, with the fine dark horses. When the Squire did come out, he
liked to do things well; and Dwarf Giles, the groom, had gone on to
Worcester the day before with the two saddle-horses, the Pater's and
Tod's. They might have ridden them in this morning, but the Squire
chose to have his horses sleek and fresh when attending the high
sheriff.
"Shall I drive, sir?" asked Tod.
"No," said the Pater. "These two have queer tempers, and must be handled
carefully." He meant the horses, Bob and Blister. Tod looked at me; he
thought he could have managed them quite as well as the Pater.
"Papa," cried Lena, as we were driving off, running up in her white
pinafore, with her pretty hair flying, "if you can catch that naughty
kidnapper at Worcester, you put her in prison."
The Squire nodded emphatically, as much as to say, "Trust me for that."
Lena alluded to the woman who had taken her off and stolen her clothes
two or three weeks before. Tod said, afterwards, there must have been
some prevision on the child's mind when she said this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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