“No, I’ll hear all now,” said Tom; “the worst’s over.” Then, after a
pause, “When did it happen?”
“About a couple of hours ago.”
“Did he—did he—” Tom stopped and looked at Will.
“He left a confession,” said Will.
“Tell me all about it,” said Tom.
“Well, by noon I had got together all the evidence I had at hand, and
about one o’clock I went up to swear out a warrant for Moor’s arrest,
at the squire’s. The squire wasn’t in, and I waited about half an
hour. Then I slipped down to the office, to see what had become of
Daly. He had promised to come up to the squire’s and meet me at one
o’clock, and here it was half-past one, and no signs of him. He had
left me at half-past twelve, saying that he was going to get dinner,
and that he would come over as soon as he had done. I was afraid that
something was wrong, for I had a notion that he had been drinking this
morning. However, I thought it just possible that he might be at the
office. But there was no signs of him, so I went out again and stood
on the sidewalk, looking for him up and down the street. Who should
come along, but Mr. Moor. He stopped, and began talking to me, and I
couldn’t help thinking that he suspected something, though, of course,
he didn’t. I can’t tell you how I felt, Tom, to have that fellow
talking to me about little trivial things, joking all the time, as he
was given to doing. I don’t know how I answered, but I guess that it
was all at random. Just then I saw Daly come out of the _Crown and
Angel_, across the street. He staggered as he came down the steps,
and stood on the sidewalk, looking all around him. I saw that he was
as drunk as a lord, and was afraid that nothing could be done at the
squire’s that day. As luck would have it, he caught sight of Mr. Moor
talking to me, and he came right across the street to where we were,
staggering like a brute. As soon as he came to us he caught hold of
Mr. Moor’s hand and began shaking it. Mr. Moor tried to pass it off
as a joke, for he saw how drunk the fellow was. But I was on pins and
needles all the time, I can tell you.
“‘What do you mean, sir?’ said I; ‘go into the office.’
“‘You be d—d!’ was all that the fellow said to me. Then he turned to
Moor. ‘Mr. Moor,’ says he, ‘you’re a good feller—a good feller! I’m d—d
sorry for what you did, for you’re a good feller. I know all about it
(here he winked), but, between you and me, I don’t care a d—n.’
“There wasn’t a shade of color in Moor’s face. ‘What do you mean, you
scoundrel?’ said he.
“Daly straightened himself up with all the dignity that he could
manage. ‘Scoundrel, eh?’ said he. ‘Oh! all right! I’m a scoundrel, am
I? We’ll fix you for that; won’t we, Mr. Gaines? I reckon you thought
no one’ld find them old clo’s o’ yourn, didn’t you?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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