"Let her say a word if she dares. She'd better. She hasn't forgotten
what I did to--Ah! look at that."
She uttered the last words triumphantly, for the woman turned and ran
hurriedly into her cottage.
"Come along, Tom," said Uncle Richard; "we are doing no good here;" and
he turned and led the way down toward the gate, with the old woman
shrieking out a torrent of words after them, and playing an
accompaniment formed of slaps upon the door till they were out of
hearing.
"What a terrible old woman!" said Tom at last. "That Mrs Deane seemed
quite frightened of her."
"Yes; the poor ignorant people here believe that she has the power to do
them harm; and in spite of all Mr Maxted tells them, he cannot shake
their faith."
"What shall you do now, uncle?"
"Nothing, my boy, upon second thoughts. I am afraid we should not be
able to prove that this young scoundrel did the mischief without calling
in the police, and that I am very loth to do."
"But he ought not to be allowed to go about doing such things as that,
uncle," said Tom warmly. "It gets the wrong people suspected."
"Yes," said Uncle Richard dryly; "and perhaps we are suspecting the
wrong person now."
"But who else could it be, uncle?"
"Some tramp perhaps, on the way to London. No, Tom, I don't think we
will waste our time in trying to bring the misdoing home to Mr Pete
Warboys, and then appearing before the magistrates to punish him. We
had better set to work and polish a new speculum."
"Then you will make another?" said Tom eagerly.
"Of course, my boy. I shall write off for two fresh discs to-night."
"One will do, uncle."
"No, boy; we must have two, and begin as before. The lower one is
useless now, unless I keep it for a polishing tool."