The Parson O' Dumford Part 62

"My lads," he said, aloud, while the vicar, who had signed to his companions to be ready, stood with every muscle strained to spring forward and try to save the s.h.i.+vering man from violence. "My lads, this man's done you all a bad turn, but most of all to me."

There was a murmur of acquiescence at this.

"I've always fowt for ye when I could, but I've always stuck to the maister," continued Joe, in a low, hoa.r.s.e voice that was terrible in its earnestness.

"You hev, Joe, you hev," was murmured, for the men were impressed by the terrible earnestness of the old foreman.

"I've gotten something to ask of ye, then," said Joe.

"What is it?"

"Let me hev the punishment of this man--this cold-blooded villain."

"Yes, yes," rose like a whirlwind.

"And you'll leave him to me?" said Joe, through his teeth.

"Yes, yes."

"Joe, oh Joe, what are you going to do?" wailed his wife, coming panting up, having returned from the next town by the train by which Richard Glaire had meant to leave.

"Thou shalt see, moother," said Joe quietly; "I'm going to punish the thief that stole our bairn."

"But, Joe!" cried Mrs Banks piteously.

"Howd thee tongue, and see," he cried sternly. "Richard Glaire, thou'rt a d.a.m.ned villain, but I can't strike down the man my poor bairn has clasped in her poor weak arms. The way's open to thee: go, and G.o.d's mercy be held from thee if thou dost not make my poor child amends."

Richard Glaire tried to speak, but his tongue refused its office, and he looked, s.h.i.+vering, from one to the other, as the stern old man stood pointing up towards the town, while the men who, but a short time before, were ready to tear and trample him under foot, stood back right and left, leaving an open lane for him to pa.s.s.

"Banks, G.o.d bless you!" whispered the vicar, catching the old man's hand.

"And you too, parson," said the other, simply. "Mebbe you'll tak' him home."

The help was needed, for Richard Glaire tottered as his arm was drawn through the vicar's; and then, followed by Tom Podmore and the big hammerman, they pa.s.sed unmolested through the crowd, to find another further on, consisting of the women of the place, who had restrained the frantic mother and Eve Pelly from following; and the latter was kneeling now in the midst of a knot of women beside poor Mrs Glaire.

"Lift her and carry her home, Harry," said the vicar; and the great fellow raised Mrs Glaire like a babe. "Podmore, I leave Miss Pelly to you. Somebody ask Mr Purley to come on to the house at once. Quick.

By Jove, he has fainted!"

These latter words were to himself, as Richard Glaire staggered and would have fallen but for the vicar's hold; and lifting him on his own shoulder, he led the strange procession till they entered the house, where he stayed with his two stout companions, John Maine going home, to keep guard with the police, who now arrived after being locked in the station and kept there by the men.

But there was no need, for the eruption was over, and the night's silence was only broken by Richard's moans as he lay there bruised and sore, mad almost against his men, and ready to rail at the whole world for the injuries he had received.

Volume 2, Chapter XVII.

A DECEITFUL CALM.

After the storm came a calm, during which there was magisterial talk in the neighbourhood to which reports of the proceedings had extended, of sending for the military, of having additional police force in the town; and then, as Richard Glaire made no movement, as no property was destroyed, and the injury was confined to one man, the affair began to be looked upon as an ordinary a.s.sault.

A good deal of this was due to the fact that trade troubles were not uncommon, and so long as the policemen were not forced into taking action by the magnitude of the offence, they found it better to close their eyes to the proceedings, and not to interfere "till somebody called murder." In the riot in question the police had been good-humouredly locked up, and kept prisoners, as their captors said, laughing, "so as not to spoil their uniforms;" and, after a show of resistance, when they were informed that the lads were "only going to serve sum'un out," they came to the conclusion that the majesty of the law, as represented by two officials, was no match for a hundred and fifty excited men, and waited patiently till the affair was over.

The clerk of the two made his report, and waited on Richard Glaire, who, being swathed and bandaged, and very sore, told him to go to the devil.

Then the constable asked him if he should get warrants out against anybody--this at Richard Glaire's bedside.

"Yes, if you like," growled Richard.

"Will you give me their names, sir?" said the man.

"How can I give you their names, when I don't know them? It was the whole pack."

"But what am I to do, sir?" said the man, scratching his head.

"Get out!" said Richard. "Wait till I'm better."

The constable saw the vicar downstairs, and tried him for names, but with no better success; and the representative of law and order in the little out-of-the-way town went back in no wise dissatisfied, for any action against so strong a body of men would have been exceedingly unpleasant, and not at all conducive to his future comfort amongst those whom he looked upon as neighbours.

The search, too, for Daisy Banks ceased after the attack on Richard, for on all sides the police were met with the same mocking question, "Hev you asked d.i.c.k Glaire where she is?"

In fact, it was now an acknowledged fact that Richard Glaire was answerable for her whereabouts, and no amount of denial had the slightest effect on the people of Dumford.

Jacky Budd shook his head, looked red-nosed, and said nothing, but implied a great deal. In fact, Jacky was in great request, and was asked to take a good deal to drink in the shape of gills of ale by gossips wishful to know how matters went on at the Big House, where Richard Glaire was at first a prisoner perforce, and later on from choice.

Everybody said that Jacky Budd was as great a "shack" as Sim Slee; but, like that worthy, it was his harvest time, and he was of great importance in the place.

Not that he had much to report, but he dressed up his meagre bits of knowledge, and hinted that the vicar was forbidden the house.

"Young d.i.c.ky said he'd shute him if he come on the premises again."

"Why?" said some one.

"Why," replied Jacky, with a wince, "because he's jealous of him; thinks he wants the owd woman."

This report reached the ears of Miss Purley, who immediately put on her bonnet, and went down the street to Miss Primgeon, taking tea with that lady, whom she kissed affectionately for the first time since the vicar's arrival; and Miss Primgeon called her "dear," and kissed her also affectionately, confidences growing to such an extent that Miss Primgeon brought out and showed a pair of braces she had been embroidering for somebody; and, in return, Miss Purley displayed the crown of a smoking-cap in purple velvet, with "a d.i.c.ky bird" in white beads, sitting on a crimson floss silk twig; and then both ladies called each other "dear" again, and shed tears on the top of the smoking-cap and over the braces, re-embroidering them as it were with pearls, while they talked of the terribly fragile nature of human hopes, the weakness of man, and the artfulness of elderly widows.

The quant.i.ty of tea changed by a process of natural chemistry into tears that night was something astounding before the ladies separated.

Sim Slee was in high feather, too, and reached home several nights in a glorified state, spending some little time before retiring to rest in performing strange acts in his stocking feet.

Mrs Slee always waited up for him on her return from the vicarage, and generally gave him what he termed "a tongue thras.h.i.+ng for nowt."

"Coming home in such a state!" she'd exclaim. "Wher ha' ye been goozening to now? What would the parson say?"

"I don't care nowt for parson or anybody, and what do you mean with your state. I've ony been as far as the corner."

At such times Sim would pull off his boots with some difficulty, for he had the peculiarity of being perfectly sober as far as his waist, while his legs would be in such a disgraceful state of intoxication that he did not reach home without their throwing the upper part of his body several times on the ground. The boots being removed, Sim would sit before the fire talking to himself, and working his toes about in his coa.r.s.e knitted stockings.

"Why can't you put on your slippers, Sim?" Mrs Sim would say.

"I wean't," he'd answer. "I'm not going to be ordered about by a woman.