For a moment or two we stood, as people generally do in such a case,
stupefied, paralysed, so to say, staring at each other blankly. Then
there came a reaction of incredulity. It _could_ not be so.
"It must have stuck," said Moore, seizing the handle in his turn. But
no! He shook and pulled and pushed in vain, there was no sign of
yielding, not even the faintest creak. The door was a strong one, and
the lock in good order.
Some one must have passed out since I entered--a gardener probably--with
authority in the shape of a key, to fasten up for the night. There was
no use in hiding from ourselves any longer the dire certainty that we
were trapped, however involuntarily on the part of our captors.
"It must be the rule, I suppose, to lock up here late every evening.
Moore, what have you got me into? It is far worse for me than for you."
"You shouldn't have followed me," he said half sulkily, then his better
feelings reasserted themselves. "I am _awfully_ sorry, Reggie,
dreadfully sorry, but don't lose heart yet. There are ways and means;
the wall isn't so very high after all," and he stepped back a pace or
two, and stood regarding it with anxious criticism.
"Yes," he said at last, "I thought so! It is lower a bit farther on.
Either it is lower or the ground slopes upwards, which, as far as we are
concerned, comes to the same thing; and now that all is shut up for the
night, it's most unlikely that any one will be coming this way. We can
go about things quietly, without fussing."
"What will they be thinking about us at the Manor-house!" I exclaimed.
"There'll be a hue and cry over the neighbourhood if we don't return
soon!"
"No fear?" said Moore reassuringly. "Servants' nerves are not so easily
upset. They will just think we've missed our way, or something of that
kind. Besides, I hope we shall not be so very late after all; once over
the wall we can run all the way home. You can get over the ground
nearly as fast as I can if you like, you know, Reggie!"
I felt that he was doing his best to keep up my spirits, and, in spite
of everything, I was sorry for him; so I allowed him to take the lead,
and followed him silently to the spot he had pointed out, where the wall
certainly looked more easy to scale. Arrived there, Moore began feeling
in his pockets; out came the stout piece of whipcord and the old
geological hammer which I mentioned before, with which he started
operations. The wall was rough and uneven, fortunately for us; I think
it was of brick--there were already small ledges, so to say, here and
there, one or two of which Moore chipped away at to make them deeper,
with a great air of importance. I could have danced with impatience!
"We shall be here all night," I said at last, "if you are going on like
that. I believe I could climb the wall as it is!" But he tapped on for
a moment or two longer without replying.
"_Now_," he said, "I dare say you could! There are enough footholds,
but of course I will go up first. Then, as I couldn't reach to your
hands, I'll let down two long loops of cords to you, which you can pull
yourself up by."
"No, thank you," I replied ungratefully. "I had much rather trust to
clutching at the stones or the ivy." For though the ivy was cleared on
this side, branches here and there came straggling over.
Moore took my snub quietly.
"You will see," he said, "once I am up, you'll be glad enough of the
loops."
See I did not; for, alas! just as the boy was close to the top,
something, I know not what--a loosened brick perhaps--gave way, and with
a cry he fell heavily, poor child, down on to the ground beside where I
stood. At first I was too terrified to think of anything but him; for a
moment or two I thought he was killed, and my relief was great when he
spoke.
"I'm not badly hurt, Reggie," he whispered; "my head's all right, it is
only my--" and a little moan escaped him--"my ankle," he continued.
"Can I have broken it?"
He sat up and began to examine it. Even in the dim light I could see
that he was very pale.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "if I could get my shoe off! My foot feels
bursting!"
I was not altogether without experience in injuries of the kind. With
so many brothers always coming to grief more or less, I had acquired a
smattering of "first aid to the injured," as it is called nowadays. I
stooped down, and getting Moore's pocket-knife from him, I cut the
shoelaces, and rather deftly, I flattered myself, released the poor,
already painfully swollen foot.
"No," I said, "I _think_ and hope it is only a bad sprain. But even if
no worse, you cannot possibly attempt to stand, or drag yourself along
with it in such a state."
"I don't think I could," he allowed, and he looked so nearly fainting
that I grew desperate.
"I must go for help," I said, "whatever or whoever these people are! It
is the only thing to do."
Moore was too utterly knocked over to remonstrate, and I felt it would
be cruel and useless to reproach him. I started off, running as quickly
as was safe in the increasing dusk, scarcely giving myself time to think
how I could explain our unwarranted intrusion. Some instinct told me
that it was better to go straight to the front door than through the
conservatory. I did so, but before I had time to ring, I saw that it
was standing wide open, and almost immediately two figures crossed the
hall. They must have caught sight of me at once, for the foremost of
them--it was the elder Mr Grey--came forward, amazement depicted on his
face, and stood gazing at me for a moment as if unable to speak. His
stupefaction gave me a sort of courage, or rather I felt the necessity
of speech.
"I beg your pardon," I began. "I don't know how to explain, but--oh! my
brother--he's quite a boy--has hurt himself badly. He has fallen from
the top of your wall, and--and--somebody must come to help him!"
I could not utter another word. I felt myself beginning to choke and
sob.
"How the--" Then the speaker checked himself. "What in the world was he
doing at the top of the wall, and how did he get there? And how did
you--" Here again he stopped. I think it dawned upon him at that moment
that he was addressing a lady. Probably, too, it struck him that if
some one was lying badly injured by some accident, the first thing to do
was to see to him, and reserve explanations till after this had been
done. But the poor man was terribly upset--as to _that_ there could be
no doubt; and excited though I was, I was able to feel fearfully ashamed
and penitent.
During the moment or two that had passed, the second person in the hall,
a travelling-rug over his arm, had come forward. To him Mr Grey now
turned.
"Have you heard?" he said. "Come with me. We must at all costs see
what is the matter."
The younger man, for considerably such he was had taken it all in,
though in silence.
"Where is the boy?" he said to me abruptly, though not uncourteously.