A SECRET COMPACT
SIR RICHARD GIDLEY and his daughter were seated on one of the garden
seats in front of the house when the three young folks came in sight.
A look of indecision crossed Mrs. Compton's handsome countenance when
she saw them, and she glanced at her father nervously, as though
wondering how he would expect her to meet Dick; but he was not
looking at her—his eyes were fixed on the approaching children.
Dick ran forward to speak to his grandfather, conscious of the
proud-looking lady at his side, whilst Ruth and Lionel paused at a
little distance, surprised that their cousin evidently felt no fear
of Sir Richard.
"Well. Dick," said the old man quite genially, "so you and your
cousins have made friends, eh? That's right! Now, I want to introduce
you to your aunt. Arabella, this is Richard's boy. He is like your
brother, is he not?"
"Yes," Mrs. Compton responded briefly, as she extended her hand
to Dick.
He glanced up at her a trifle wistfully. There was something in his
look which appealed to the mother's instinct in her heart, and
forgetful of the keen old eyes watching her so intently, she put her
arms around her nephew, and gave him a lingering kiss. He returned
her embrace with great warmth, for he had not expected such a kindly
welcome from his first glance at her face.
Sir Richard rose abruptly, and walked a few paces away, leaving aunt
and nephew together; whilst Ruth and Lionel conversed in whispers,
keeping watch on their grandfather the while to see he did not come
upon them unawares.
"So you are Richard's boy," Mrs. Compton said, smiling at Dick; "I am
very glad to see you, my dear, and I hope you will spend a lot
of time at the Manor House whilst the children and I are here. Why,
what a pale-faced little lad you are, and yet your grandfather says
you are far better than when you arrived in England!"
"Indeed I am!" Dick assured her earnestly. "Uncle Theophilus has
written and told father so; he'll be glad, because I'm going to be
a soldier when I'm a man, if I'm strong enough. Feel the muscle in my
arm! Uncle Theophilus says it's getting firmer every day!"
Mrs. Compton did as she was requested, laughing the while.
"I suppose Uncle Theophilus is Dr. Warren?" she asked. "I know him."
She looked thoughtfully at Dick. "Yes, you are like the Gidleys," she
said; "my father is right, I can see the resemblance to Paul Gidley."
"Does grandfather say I am like him?" Dick questioned, looking
pleased and surprised. "Oh, I hope I am! I shall tell mother what you
say; I'm quite sure she'll be glad!"
Mrs. Compton made no reply, for her attention had been attracted
by her father, who was evidently watching her closely. She saw there
was a decided look of approval on his face, and guessed he was
pleased she had greeted Dick so warmly. Sir Richard now returned
to her side, calling to Ruth and Lionel, who approached with apparent
reluctance. Mrs. Compton could not but be struck with the difference
between their embarrassed manner in their grandfather's presence, and
her nephew's frank, fearless behaviour.
"What is that on your collar, Lionel?" said Sir Richard. "Why, it is
blood! How did it come there?"
"I'm sure I don't know!" Lionel replied hastily, without the least
hesitation.
"Nonsense! You must know! What have you been doing?" Sir Richard
cried sharply. "Come, speak out!"
"I haven't been doing anything," Lionel declared in a sulky tone.
"If there's blood on my collar I can't help it! I don't know how it
came there!"
Dick was simply astounded to hear his cousin lie so glibly.
The colour rushed to his face; and his grandfather, happening to
glance at him at that moment, was struck by his guilty appearance.
"Perhaps you can throw some light on the matter, Dick?" he said
enquiringly. "What has Lionel been doing?"
"It was my fault!" Dick cried distressfully. "I hit him, and made his
nose bleed, and I suppose some of the blood got on his collar! It was
very wrong of me; I know I ought not to have struck him; but we've
made it up now, haven't we, Lionel?"
"Yes," Lionel acknowledged, wishing heartily his cousin had held
his tongue.
"What made you lie to me?" demanded Sir Richard furiously, turning
upon his elder grandson in a passion. "You know I hate a liar!"
"Oh, grandfather!" cried Dick pleadingly, "I think he told a story
because he didn't wish to get me into a row!"
That had not been Lionel's reason, but he held his peace. The actual
fact was he had feared to tell the truth lest his grandfather should
seek to discover the cause of his quarrel with Dick, when he knew
he would be blamed. Mrs. Compton looked from one to the other with a
puzzled expression.
"What could you boys have had to fall out about?" she said
plaintively, in the tone she usually adopted on the rare occasions
when she rebuked her children, "and so early in your acquaintance
too!"
"Oh, we shan't fall out again!" Dick told her earnestly. "I—I'm
awfully ashamed of myself, I am indeed! Do please forgive me
for hitting Lionel! He's not really hurt; but I'm afraid he won't be
able to wear his collar again before it has been washed! I hope
it was not a clean one!"
"Never mind that," Sir Richard broke in, a grim smile crossing his
face. "Your aunt and I won't press you to explain your quarrel, Dick!
I daresay the cause of it was not so very serious! Lionel, never tell
me a deliberate lie again, even to shield another!"
"I will not, grandfather," Lionel responded in a low, shamed voice,
hanging his head.
"Now, you children can run away and amuse yourselves till luncheon.
Don't get into mischief, and try to agree."
Sir Richard watched the three young figures thoughtfully as they
disappeared from sight around the corner of the house.
"I wonder what they could have quarrelled about, Arabella!"
he exclaimed; then, as his daughter shook her head, he gave a short
laugh, and added: "Dick has plenty of spirit! He is his father
over again! The idea of his striking a boy so much bigger than
himself! What do you think of your nephew, eh?"
"He seems a bright, attractive little fellow. I marvel more than ever
how his mother could have parted with him!"
"He appears very fond of her; and she has evidently brought him up
well."
Mrs. Compton was surprised to hear her father admit so much. She
hesitated a moment, then said,—
"I met a gentleman the other day who knew Richard and his wife
in India. He says she is a charming woman, and considers Richard
a fortunate man. I daresay she has improved since her marriage,
but she was always good-looking, was she not?"
"I never spoke to her but once in my life," Sir Richard returned
thoughtfully, "and then she appeared merely a shy, pretty
school-girl. I was not aware at that time that she would be my
daughter-in-law!"
"It was such a pity Richard did not look higher for a wife," Mrs.
Compton sighed, for she had been ambitious for her brother; "but,
after all, her relations are respectable people. I am sure Dr. Warren
is a clever man in his profession, and his sister looks very nice!"
She paused a trifle nervously, for she had never dared to speak
a word in favour of her sister-in-law's relations before; but Sir
Richard did not turn upon her in anger as she half feared he would;
on the contrary, he nodded his head approvingly, and, much to her
surprise, suggested that she should call on Miss Warren.
"I think it would be only polite, seeing Dick is living with her and
her brother," he said. "As things stand we ought to show them some
attention."
"Very well!" Mrs. Compton answered quietly, though she was much
amazed at the turn matters were taking.
Meanwhile, Lionel had changed his soiled collar for a clean one, and
had repaired to the yard at the back of the house, where he found
his sister and cousin watching the grooming of the pair of horses
Sir Richard drove in his carriage. Later, they climbed the steep
ladder which led to the hay loft, and sat down, each on a bundle
of sweet-smelling hay, to talk at their ease.
"It was awfully good of you to take all the blame of our shindy
on yourself," Lionel said to Dick, with real gratitude in his tone.
"I consider grandfather let us off easily; he seemed in a better
temper than he was at breakfast-time!"
"I wish you hadn't told him a lie!" Dick exclaimed, looking quite
distressed. "No wonder he was angry!"
"Oh, that's nothing!" Lionel answered airily. "Grandfather's always
glad to have something to be angry about! He's an awful temper!
It wasn't much of a lie any way!"
"But it's so wicked to tell lies," Dick objected, "and father says
a liar is generally a coward. I don't think you look a coward,
somehow!"
Lionel took the latter part of his cousin's sentence as a compliment.
There was an appearance of gratification on his face as he
replied,—
"I'm not a coward; but what's a fellow to do to get himself out of a
scrape? I wouldn't tell a lie to injure anyone; I wouldn't be so mean
as that!"
"Of course not!" exclaimed Ruth, who always stood by her brother.
"You don't know how nasty grandfather is when he's angry, Dick,
or you wouldn't think it wrong to tell him a little fib."
"Yes, I should!" Dick said quickly. "It's always wrong to tell
a fib—a fib is the same as a lie!"
"I suppose it is," Ruth allowed; "but let's talk of something else!"
"If it hadn't been for you, Dick, we should have gone down to the
beach to-day," Lionel said, gladly changing the conversation at his
sister's request; "but grandfather wished us to stay at home to see
you. It's fine by the sea; there's always something to amuse one,
and—"
"Oh, yes!" Dick broke in eagerly. "I love the sea! I'll tell you what
happened to me the other day!" and he gave them a graphic account
of his morning on the beach when he had had Nero for a companion, and
had fallen into the pool.
The others laughed heartily as they tried to picture the sorry figure
he must have cut as he walked up the village street in his wet
clothes.
"Who told you about the secret passage?" Lionel asked; for Dick
had informed them he had been searching for the entrance to it.
"Grandfather. How I should like to find it, shouldn't you?"
"Rather!" Lionel cried, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Rather!" echoed Ruth.
"Oh, pooh!" said her brother, turning upon her scornfully. "What do
you know about the secret passage; you are—"
"I know as much about it as you do!" she interrupted indignantly.
Lionel had no answer ready, so he inquired of Dick what Sir Richard
had said. It was no more than the elder boy knew already, when all
was told.
"I should not be surprised if there were great treasures hidden away
in that passage," Lionel remarked seriously. "I would give anything
to know! What do you say, Dick, shall we enter into a compact to try
and find the secret passage? and if we succeed we shall have every
right to share the treasures. Do you agree?"
"Oh, yes!" Dick exclaimed readily, his pale face glowing with
excitement. "Oh, what fun! When shall we begin to search?"
"I'll help!" Ruth interposed eagerly.
"You'll do no such thing," her brother told her. "You're a girl, and
you can't do anything to help us; you would only be in our way!"
Ruth looked grievously disappointed, for hitherto she had been her
brother's sole companion during their summer holidays, and it seemed
a little hard to be set aside for a newcomer. She pouted, and her
eyes filled with tears. Dick felt so sorry for her that he spoke on
her behalf, thereby earning her deep gratitude.
"Don't you think she might help us?" he asked Lionel. "There might be
something she could do!"
"Well," was the relenting reply, "we'll see! But mind, Ruth, you must
tell no one what we mean to do. Promise!"
"Oh, I promise! I promise!" Ruth cried delightedly.
"And you must do as we tell you," Lionel continued. "You mustn't want
to go your own way as you generally do!"
"All right; I won't!" the little girl responded, ready to agree
to anything.
"Now, we will all shake hands, and promise faithfully to stand by
each other, and to do our very best to find the secret passage."
This was accordingly done with great solemnity. Then the young people
put their heads together, and held a long discussion as to where and
how the search should commence. They had not decided these points
when they heard Susan Morecombe's voice calling to them to come and
prepare for luncheon; so they scrambled down the ladder, left the
stables, and went into the house by the back entrance.
Nero was stretched on the mat in front of the dining-room door. He
gave Dick a warm welcome, much to the surprise of Ruth and Lionel,
who were not on particularly cordial terms with him—the truth being
that they had played tricks on him the previous summer, and he had
too good a memory to forget their teasing ways.
Mrs. Compton was vexed during luncheon to see how her children
abstained from conversation when Dick was so ready to talk and answer
all her questions. Ruth and Lionel always showed at a disadvantage
before their grandfather. Their mother never realised that the fact
of her having brought them up to fear him was the cause of their
doing so. It surprised her to hear her little nephew expressing his
opinions; and she expected every moment that his grandfather would
turn upon him with some cutting remark which would wound his
feelings; but instead, Sir Richard encouraged the child to talk, and
seemed amused with his conversation.
After luncheon the children were again left to their own devices,
when they held another consultation as to the first steps to be taken
in their search for the secret passage. Lionel suggested that the
best plan would be to consult Granfer Cole, and obtain all the
information they could from him. He volunteered to call upon the old
man, and let Dick hear the result of his interview with him.
So it was arranged, much to the satisfaction of all three, and the
great delight of the younger boy.
"Mind, it's a secret," Lionel said impressively. "No one must know
what we mean to do!"
"All right!" Dick replied readily, filled with a sense of his own
importance.
So the children parted on the best of terms, and Dick returned
to No. 8 Fore Street in high spirits. He told his aunt and uncle
that he liked his cousins; but he refrained from mentioning the fact
that his acquaintance with them had commenced in rather a stormy
manner. He did not like to tell Dr. Warren and his sister that Lionel
had laughed at their names, and called the former a nobody; neither
did he confess that he had lost his temper and hit his cousin,
for that would have meant explaining the whole matter.
It was late before Dick fell asleep that night, his mind was so full
of the compact he had entered into with Ruth and Lionel to try and
find the secret passage. It was the first secret he had ever had to
keep; and long after Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Theophilus had retired
to their respective bedrooms Dick lay awake thinking of ways and
means to attain the end he and his cousins had in view, till at
length drowsiness overcame him, and he fell into a deep, dreamless
sleep.