"A bed."
Doctor Sternroyd threw up his hands in protest. "And incur your noble
father's displeasure?"
"On the contrary. He'd be deeply grateful to you for showing me
hospitality."
"Ah," sighed the Antiquary, shaking his head, "you'll find me poor
company, young gentleman."
"It's only for two days," said Jack lightly. "We can play chess." He
turned to Marjolaine. "And every evening we'll meet in the Gazebo. I 'll
whistle so:--" he executed a fragment which Marjolaine repeated, more or
less--"and you 'll come out."
Doctor Sternroyd was troubled; but this young man had a way with him.
"Ah, well!" he sighed, sitting down and motioning them to sit beside
him. "Now you must give me full particulars: your names, ages,
professions, if any--"
"How exciting!" cried Marjolaine, clapping her hands.
The Antiquary picked up one of the books. "'_Epicteti quae supersunt
Dissertationes_,'" he read, affectionately. "A pencil! Now, Mr.
Sayle--" So they bent their heads together, and were very busy, giving
the dates of birthdays, and all their histories, which Doctor Sternroyd
meticulously entered on the fly-leaf of the tome.
The rain had ceased. The sun was again shining brightly, turning the
rain-drops on the foliage of the elm into diamonds. The air sparkled,
newly washed. The Eyesore in his corner had, for some time, been
showing symptoms of discomfort. With appetites refreshed by the shower,
the fish were displaying a lively interest in his bait. To be sure,
they refused to swallow his hook; but they nibbled at his worm with
great zest, and kept his float bobbing up and down in a manner which
made it impossible for him to attend to anything else. Yet out of the
corner of his eye he could see Sempronius, stretched at full length,
creeping slowly, almost imperceptibly, but with deadly determination,
towards the fish Jack had caught.
The Eyesore said "Hoo!" but Sempronius took no notice. The Eyesore
kicked; but Sempronius was out of reach. The Eyesore shook his
disengaged fist; but Sempronius only smiled.
As the sun came out, out came Mr. Jerome Brooke-Hoskyn, as resplendent
as the sun. He was truly wonderful to behold: his magnificent beaver
hat poised at an improbable angle, his buckles glittering, and his vast
person imposing under the countless capes of his driving-coat. Just as
he had swaggered to his gate he was evidently arrested by a voice from
the upper chamber.
[Illustration: AS THE SUN CAME OUT, OUT CAME MR. JEROME BROOKE-HOSKYN,
AS RESPLENDENT AS THE SUN]
"Eh? What?" he asked peevishly, making an ear-trumpet of his hand.
"Late home?--Yes; I told you I should be. Pitt is to speak, and when
once he's on his legs the Lord only knows when he'll stop. But I have
the doorkey. What? Yes, I did! I found the keyhole easily enough, but
the key was twisted. What?" He grew purple with indignation.
"Sober!--Reely, Selina!--" The Walk was astir, as he observed to his
confusion. "Dammit, Ma'am, they'll hear you howling all round the
Walk!" He turned just in time to face Miss Ruth, who had come sailing
up to him. Everybody was either at their open windows, or had come out
to taste the fresh air. The Admiral was fussing with his sweet peas;
Jim was helping him; Mrs. Poskett was watching the Admiral; Basil
Pringle was struggling with the Kreutzer Sonata; Barbara had left Doctor
Johnson and was leaning out of the lower window; listening to Basil.
Even the servants were out and about; only Madame was missing.
Miss Ruth addressed Mr. Brooke-Hoskyn. "Off to the whirl of fashion so
early?"
Brooke-Hoskyn did his best to edge her away from the house while he
nervously pulled on his buckskin gloves. "H'm, it is a long way to the
City," he explained, "my good friends, the Goldsmiths' Company--a
banquet to the Chinese Ambassador--my shay is waiting round the corner."
Miss Ruth tried to pass him. "I'll go and sit with your wife," she
said, with the kindest intention.
"On no account!" he answered, not too politely, interposing his solid
bulk between her and the gate. Seeing her bridle, he corrected himself.
"Most kind of you, to be sure; but--ah--not just now. I left the dear
soul asleep, and dreaming of the angels."
Miss Ruth turned away disappointed, and her attention was at once
diverted by the Eyesore's extraordinary antics. Sempronius, that
intelligent cat, clearly comprehending that the fisherman could not
leave his rod, was preparing to spring at the fish.
"Oh! look at the Eyesore!" cried Miss Ruth.
"Haha!" laughed Brooke-Hoskyn. "Sempronius is about to snatch his fish!
Observe his antics! Reely, most amusing!"
In the Gazebo the lovers and Doctor Sternroyd had finished, and the
Doctor closed the book with a sigh of satisfaction. "There! I think
that's all!" They prepared to leave their shelter, unconscious of the
excitement in the Walk.
But at that moment the Eyesore, driven to desperation by the threatened
loss of his fish, sprang at Sempronius with uncontrollable fury, seized
the animal by the scruff of his neck, and--_horresco referens_--hurled
him into the river. Then he picked up his fish, and bolted.
[Illustration: THE EYESORE SEIZED THE ANIMAL BY THE SCRUFF OF HIS NECK,
AND HURLED HIM INTO THE RIVER]
Ruth screamed; Barbara screamed; Nanette and Jane screamed; while Mrs.
Poskett waved her arms and screamed louder than any of them:
"Sempronius!--Save him!"