Part 38 (1/2)

At first Mr Stuart was alarmed by the abrupt entrance of the big labourer; then he was nettled and disgusted at what he deemed a silly practical joke of his son. Ultimately he was astonished and somewhat incredulous in regard to the prospects of housebreaking which his son held out to him. He was so far convinced, however, as to allow Kenneth to make what preparations he pleased, and then retired to rest, coolly observing that if the burglars did come it was evident they would be well taken care of without his aid, and that if they did _not_ come there was no occasion for his losing a night's rest.

Between two and three o'clock that morning three men climbed over the garden wall of Seaside Villa, and, having deposited their shoes in a convenient spot, went on tiptoe to the dining-room window. Here they paused to consult in low whispers.

While they were thus engaged, three other men watched their movements with earnest solicitude from a neighbouring bush behind which they lay concealed.

After a few moments one of the first three went to the window and began to cut out part of a pane of gla.s.s with a glazier's diamond. At the same time, one of the second three--a tall stout man in a smock-frock-- advanced on tiptoe to watch the operation.

When the piece of gla.s.s was cut out the first three put their heads together for farther consultation. Immediately their respective throats were seized and compressed by three strong pair of hands, and the heads were knocked violently together!

Gildart addressed himself to the red-haired man; the policeman devoted himself to the one with the beard; and Kenneth paid particular attention to the gentlemanly burglar, whose expression of countenance on beholding into whose hands he had fallen, may be conceived, but cannot be described.

Dan Horsey, who had also been on the watch, suddenly appeared with three pair of handcuffs, and applied them with a degree of prompt facility that surprised himself and quite charmed the policeman.

Thereafter the three astounded burglars were led in triumph into Mr Stuart's study, where that sceptical individual received them in his dressing-gown and slippers, and had his unbelieving mind convinced.

Then they were conveyed to the lockup, where we shall now leave them in peace--satisfied that they are safely in the hands of justice.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

DREADFUL SUSPICIONS AROUSED IN ANXIOUS BOSOMS.

When Miss Peppy came down to breakfast next morning she found that she was the first of the household to make her appearance. This, however, was the natural consequence of her commendable desire to be always in good time--a desire which resulted in her being at least a quarter of an hour too soon for everything, except on those occasions, of course, when she over-slept, or was detained by unavoidable circ.u.mstances.

On the present occasion Miss Peppy, having had a remarkably good night's rest, felt placid, and looked serene. She pa.s.sed the spare quarter of an hour in perambulating the room, looking at the books and pictures, smoothing her cuffs, arranging her cap, and paying marked attention to a beautiful little dog which was Bella's own particular pet, and the colonel's particular abhorrence, because of its tendency to bark suddenly, sharply, and continuously at every visitor who entered the house.

Rosebud, (for thus was it misnamed), seemed to be, however, in no mood to receive attentions that morning. It was evidently ill at ease, without apparently knowing why.

”Did it growl, then?” said Miss Peppy in a reproachful tone, as she stooped to pat the head of the spoiled creature. ”Ah, it mustn't growl, for that is naughty, you know, darling Rosebud. Eh! doing it again?

Oh! bad little snarley-warley, growly-wowly. Doesn't it know that the poet says `dogs delight to bark and bite?' and that--that--he means that they shouldn't delight to do such naughtinesses, although, after all, why they shouldn't when it's natural to them _I_ don't know; and, besides, how does _he_ know that they delight to do it? I never saw them look delighted in my life; on the contrary, they're very fierce, are they not, Rosebud? especially the big ones that sometimes try to worry you. How they can ever want to worry such a pitty-itty, dear, naughty growly-wowly, snarley-warley as you, is quite beyond my comprehension; but then, you see, we live in a world of puzzles, you and I, Rosebud, and so it's of no use being puzzled, because that does no good, and only worries one. Don't it, deary sweety petty? Well, you can't answer of course, though I _know_ that you understand every word I say.”

Miss Peppy suddenly shrieked, for the ”sweety petty” bit her with sufficient force to show that he was not in a mood to be played with, and would do it harder next time.

Just then the colonel entered, and Rosebud at once received him with a tornado of maddening yelps, so that for at least five minutes it had the entire monopoly of the conversation, and Miss Peppy was obliged to say good-morning in dumb show. At the same time, the colonel frowned fiercely at Rosebud, and said something which Miss Peppy could not hear because of the noise, but which, from the abrupt motion of the lips, she suspected must be something very wicked indeed.

When the darling creature at last consented to hold its tongue, the colonel said--

”Are you aware, Miss Stuart, that your nephew has been out all night?”

”No, colonel, I was not aware of it,” said Miss Peppy with a slight elevation of her eyebrows; ”I wonder at it, for although he often goes out all night to ride wild horses into the sea, and save drowned people, and things of that sort, he never goes out without telling Niven, and saying whether or not he's likely to be back soon. Besides, he always has the door-key in his pocket, when he doesn't forget it, which is pretty often. Perhaps he had _your_ door-key in his pocket, but after all, even if he had, that wouldn't alter the fact that he's been out all night. But maybe he's in bed--did you look?”

”Yes, I looked, and he has evidently not lain on the bed at all last night.”

”Under it?” suggested Miss Peppy.

The colonel smiled slightly, and said that it had not occurred to him to look under the bed.

At that moment the door burst open, and Bella's maid, rus.h.i.+ng in, flung herself on her knees at the colonel's feet, and, clasping her hands, cried in piteous tones--

”Oh! sir, please, mercy please.”