"Now, sir," cried Sir Francis angrily, "have the goodness to explain
what you were doing there."
This was to Ike, who seemed stupid and confused. The excitement of the
fight had roused him up for a few minutes; but as soon as that was over
he yawned very loudly, and when Sir Francis turned fiercely upon him and
asked him that question he said aloud: "Eh?"
"Answer me, you scoundrel!" cried Sir Francis. "You heard what I said."
"Eh? Hah, yes. What had I been a-doing--heigh--ho--hum! Oh, how
sleepy I am! What had I been a-doing here? What I been doing, Mars
Grant?"
"You were asleep," I said on being appealed to; and I spoke angrily, for
I was smarting under the accusation and suspicion of being a thief.
"Asleep!" cried Ike. "To be sure. That's it. Asleep I was under the
bushes there. Dropped right off."
"You repeat your lesson well," said Sir Francis. "Pray, go up to the
house--to the library, you boys--you, sir, follow me."
Courtenay and Philip went on in advance, Sir Francis followed, and we
were bringing up the rear when Ike exclaimed in remonstrance: "That ain't fair, master. You ought to sep'rate them two or a nyste bit
of a tale they'll make up between them."
"You insolent scoundrel!" roared Sir Francis.
"All right, sir; scoundrel it is, just as you like. Wonder who'll tell
the truth, and who won't?"
"Hold your tongue, Ike!" I said angrily.
Plop!
That strange sound was made by Ike, who struck his mouth with his hand
as if to stop it up and prevent more words coming.
Meanwhile we were going up the garden, and came suddenly upon a spot of
fire which kept glowing and fading, and resolved itself into Mr
Solomon's evening pipe in the kitchen-garden middle walk.
"Hallo! young gentlemen!" he exclaimed; and then, seeing his master:
"Anything the matter, Sir Francis?"
"Matter!" cried Sir Francis, who was in a great passion. "Why are you,
my head gardener, not protecting my place with the idle scoundrels I
pay? Here am I and my sons obliged to turn out of an evening to keep
thieves from the fruit."
"Thieves! What thieves?" cried Mr Solomon. "Why, Isaac, what are you
doing here?"
"Me!" said Ike. "Don't quite know. Thought I'd been having a nap. The
master says I've been stealing o' pears."
"Silence!" cried Sir Francis. "You, Brownsmith, see that those two
fellows come straight up to the library. I hold you answerable for
their appearance."
Sir Francis went on first and we followed, to find ourselves, about ten
minutes later, in the big library, with Sir Francis seated behind a
large table, and a lamp and some silver candlesticks on table and
mantel-piece, trying to make the gloomy room light.