CHAPTER XXIII
A DARING PLAN
It was close on ten o'clock when they came back to earth once more.
A peremptory knock at the door had roused them both from their dreams.
Bathurst rose to open, and there stood John Stich and Mistress Betty,both looking somewhat flurried and guilty, and both obviously brimmingover with news.
"My lady! my lady!" cried Betty, excitedly, as soon as she caught hermistress's eye, "I have just spied Sir Humphrey Challoner at the windowof the Royal George, just over the green yonder."
"Give me leave, Captain," added John Stich, who was busy rolling up hissleeves above his powerful arms, "give me leave, and I'll make the roguedisgorge those letters in a trice."
"You'd not succeed, honest friend," mused Bathurst, "and might getyourself in a devil of a hole to boot."
"Nay, Captain," asserted John, emphatically, "'tis no time now for thewearing of kid gloves. I was on the green a moment ago, and spied thatravenous scarecrow, Mittachip, conversing with the beadle outside theCourt House, where Squire West is sitting."
"Well?"
"When the beadle had gone, Master Mittachip walked across the green andwent straight to the Royal George. Be gy! what does that mean,Captain?"
"Oho!" laughed Jack, much amused at the smith's earnestness, "it meansthat Sir Humphrey Challoner intends to lay information against one BeauBrocade, the noted highwayman, and to see how nice he'll look with arope round his neck and dangling six foot from the ground."
An involuntary cry from Lady Patience, however drowned the laughter onhis lips.
"Tush, man!" he added seriously, "here's a mighty fine piece of workwe're doing, frightening her ladyship..."
But John Stich was scowling more heavily than ever.
"If the scoundrel should dare..." he muttered, clenching his huge fists.
His attitude was so threatening, and his expression so menacing, that inthe midst of her new anxiety Lady Patience herself could not helpsmiling. Beau Brocade laughed outright.
"Dare?..." he said lightly. "Why, of course he'll dare. He's eagerenough in the pursuit of mischief, and must save the devil all thetrouble of showing him the way. But now," he added more seriously, andturning to Mistress Betty, "tell me, child, saw you Sir Humphreyclearly?"
"Aye! clear as daylight," she retorted, "the old beast..."
"How was he dressed?"
"Just like he was yesterday, sir. A brown coat, embroidered waistcoat,buff breeches, riding-boots, three-cornered hat, and he had in his handa gold-headed riding-crop."
"Child!--child!" cried Bathurst, joyfully, "an those bright eyes ofyours have not deceived you, yours'll be the glory of having saved usall."
"What are you going to do?" asked Patience, eagerly.
"Pit my poor wits against those of Sir Humphrey Challoner," he repliedgaily.
"I don't quite understand."
He came up quite close to her and tried to meet her eyes.
"But you trust me?" he asked.
And she murmured,--
"Absolutely."
"May Heaven bless you for that word!" he said earnestly. "Then will youdeign to do as I shall direct?"
"Entirely."
"Very well! Then whilst friend Stich will fetch my hat for me, will youwrite out a formal plaint, signed with your full name, stating that lastnight on the Heath you were waylaid and robbed by a man, whom I, yourcourier, saw quite plainly, and whom you have desired me to denounce?"
"But..."
"I entreat you there's not a moment to be lost," he urged, taking pen,ink and paper from the old-fashioned desk close by, and placing thembefore her.
"I'll do as you wish, of course," she said, "but what is your purpose?"
"For the present to take your ladyship's plaint over to his Honour,Squire West, at the Court House."
"You'll be seen and recognised and..."
"Not I. One or two of the yokels may perhaps guess who I am, but they'ddo me no harm. I entreat you, do as I bid you. Every second wasted mayimperil our chance of safety."
He had such an air of quiet command about him that she instinctivelyobeyed him and wrote out the plaint as he directed, then gave it in hischarge. He seemed buoyant and full of hope, and though her heartmisgave her, she managed to smile cheerfully when he took leave of her.
"I humbly beg of you," he said finally, as having kissed her finger-tipshe prepared to go, "to wait here against my return, and on no account totake heed of anything you may see or hear for the next half-hour. An Imistake not," he added with a merry twinkle in his grey eyes, "there'llbe strange doings at Brassington this noon."
"But you...?" she cried anxiously.
"Nay! I pray you have no fear for me. In your sweet cause I wouldchallenge the world, and, if you desired it, would remained unscathed."
When he had gone, she sighed, and obedient to his wish, sat waitingpatiently for his return in the dingy little parlour which awhile agohis presence had made so bright.
It was at this moment that Master Mittachip, after his interview withthe beadle, was in close conversation with Sir Humphrey Challoner at theRoyal George.
Outside the inn, Bathurst turned to John Stich, who had closely followedhim.
"How's my Jack o' Lantern?" he asked quickly.
"As fresh as a daisy, Captain," replied the smith. "I've rubbed him downmyself, and he has had a lovely feed."
"That's good. You have my saddle with you?"
"Oh, aye! I knew you'd want it soon enough. Jack o' Lantern carried itfor you himself, bless 'is 'eart, along with her ladyship and MistressBetty."
"Then do you see at once to his being saddled, friend, and bring himalong to the Court House as soon as may be. Hold him in readiness forme, so that I may mount at a second's notice. You understand?"
"Yes, Captain. I understand that you are running your head into ad----d noose, and..."
"Easy, easy, friend! Remember..."
"Nay! I'll not forget for whose sake you do it. But you are at adisadvantage, Captain, with only one good arm."
"Nay, friend," rejoined Bathurst, lightly, "there's many a thing a mancan do with one arm: he can embrace his mistress ... or shoot hisenemy."
The sleepy little village of Brassington lay silent and deserted in thewarmth of the noon-day sun, as Bathurst, having parted from John Stich,hurried across its narrow streets. As he had passed quickly through theouter passage of the Packhorse he had caught sight of a few red coats atthe dingy bar of the inn, and presently, when he emerged on the green,he perceived another lot of them over at the Royal George yonder.
But at this hour the worthy soldiers of His Majesty, King George, werehaving their midday rest and their customary glasses of ale, and werefar too busy recounting their adventure with the mysterious stranger atthe forge to the gaffers of Brassington, to take heed of anyone hurryingalong its street.
And thus Bathurst passed quickly and unperceived; the one or two yokelswhom he met gave him a rapid glance. Only the women turned round, as hewent along, to have another look at the handsome stranger with one armin a sling.
Outside the Court House he came face to face with Master Inch, whosepompous dignity seemed at this moment to be severely ruffled.
"Hey, sir! Hey!" he was shouting, and craning his fat neck in search ofMaster Mittachip, who had incontinently disappeared, "the Court isdeterminating--Squire West will grant you the interview which youseek.... Lud preserve me!" he added in noble and gigantic wrath, "I dobelieve the impious malapert was trying to fool me ... sending me on afool's errand ... _me_ ... Jeremiah Inch, beadle of this parish!..."
Bathurst waited a moment or two until the worst of the beadle's angerhad cooled down a little, then he took a silver crown from his pocket,and pushed past the worthy into the precincts of the house.
"The interview you've arranged for, friend," he said quietly; "will doequally well for her ladyship's courier."
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Master Inch was somewhat taken off his balance. Mittachip'sdisappearance and this stranger's impertinence had taken his breathaway. Before he had time to recover it, Bathurst had pressed the silvercrown into his capacious palm.
"Now tell Squire West, friend," he said with that pleasant air ofauthority which he knew so well how to assume, "that I am here by thecommand of Lady Patience Gascoyne and am waiting to speak with him."
Master Inch was so astonished that he found no word either of protest orof offended dignity. He looked doubtfully at the crown for a second ortwo, weighed it in his mind against the problematical half-crownpromised by the defaulting attorney, and then said majestically,--
"I will impart her ladyship's cognomen to his Honour myself."
The next moment Jack Bathurst found himself alone in a small privateroom of the Court House, looking forward with suppressed excitement tothe interview with Squire West, which in a moment of dare-devil, madcapfrolic, yet with absolute coolness and firm determination, he hadalready arranged in his mind.