The Hampdenshire WonderBeresford, J. D. (John Davys)
Science
The Hampdenshire Wonder
Beresford, J. D. (John Davys)
Science fiction
(It was as the outcome of this conversation that Gregory Lewes did,
two years afterwards, take up this line of study. The only result up
to the present time is his little brochure Reflexive Associations,
which has hardly added to our knowledge of the subject.)
IV
Challis's anticipation that he and Lewes would be greatly favoured
by the Wonder's company was fully realised.
The child put in an appearance at half-past nine the next morning,
just as the governess cart was starting out to fetch him. When he was
admitted he went straight to the library, climbed on to the chair,
upon which the volumes of the Encyclopædia still remained, and
continued his reading where he had left off on the previous evening.
He read steadily throughout the day without giving utterance to speech
of any kind.
Challis and Lewes went out in the afternoon, and left the child deep
in study. They came in at five o'clock, and went to the library. The
Wonder, however, was not there.
Challis rang the bell.
"Has little Stott gone?" he asked when Heathcote came.
"I 'aven't seen 'im, sir," said Heathcote.
"Just find out if any one opened the door for him, will you?" said
Challis. "He couldn't possibly have opened that door for himself."
"No one 'asn't let Master Stott hout, sir," Heathcote reported on
his return.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure, sir. I've made full hinquiries," said Heathcote with
dignity.
"Well, we'd better find him," said Challis.
"The window is open," suggested Lewes.
"He would hardly ..." began Challis, walking over to the low sill
of the open window, but he broke off in his sentence and continued,
"By Jove, he did, though; look here!"
It was, indeed, quite obvious that the Wonder had made his exit by
the window; the tiny prints of his feet were clearly marked in the
mould of the flowerbed; he had, moreover, disregarded all results of
early spring floriculture.
"See how he has smashed those daffodils," said Lewes. "What an
infernally cheeky little brute he is!"
"What interests me is the logic of the child," returned Challis. "I
would venture to guess that he wasted no time in trying to attract
attention. The door was closed, so he just got out of the window. I
rather admire the spirit; there is something Napoleonic about
him. Don't you think so?"
Lewes shrugged his shoulders. Heathcote's expression was quite
non-committal.
"You'd better send Jessop up to Pym, Heathcote," said Challis. "Let
him find out whether the child is safe at home."
Jessop reported an hour afterwards that Master Stott had arrived home
quite safely, and Mrs. Stott was much obliged.
V
"What can I give that child to read to-day?" asked Challis at breakfast
next morning.
"I should reverse the arrangement; let him sit on the Dictionary and
read the Encyclopædia." Lewes always approached the subject of the
Wonder with a certain supercilious contempt.
"You are not convinced yet that he isn't humbugging?"
"No! Frankly, I'm not."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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