They did not succeed, but there was light enough to show Courtenay and
Philip all the better for running up to their rooms and getting a wash
and brush, while I was ragged, dirty and torn, bruised and bleeding, for
I could not keep my nose from giving forth tokens of the fierce fight.
Courtenay was not perfect, though, for his mouth looked puffy and his
eyes were swelling up in a curious way that seemed to promise to reduce
them to a couple of slits.
I glanced at Mr Solomon, and saw that he was looking very anxious, and
as our eyes met his lips moved, and he seemed to be saying to me: "How
could you do such a disgraceful thing?" but I smiled at him and looked
him full in the eyes without flinching, and he appeared to be more
cheerful directly.
"Attention!" cried Sir Francis as if he were drilling his men; but there
was no more fierceness. The officer and angry master had given place to
the magistrate, and he cleared his throat and proceeded to try the case.
There was a little shuffling about, and Philip whispered to Courtenay.
"Silence!" cried Sir Francis. "Now, Courtenay, you are the elder: tell
me what you were doing down the garden."
"We were up by the big conservatory door, papa," said Courtenay
boldly--"Phil and I--and we were talking together about getting some
bait for fishing, when all at once there came a whistle from down the
garden, and directly after some one seemed to answer it; and then,
sir--`what's that?' said `Phil,' and I knew directly."
"How did you know?" cried Sir Francis.
"Well, I guessed it, sir, and I said it was someone after the fruit; and
I asked Phil if he'd come with me and watch and see who it was."
"And he did?"
"Yes, sir; and we went down the garden and couldn't hear or see
anything, and we went right to the bottom, and as we were coming back we
heard the pear-trees being shaken."
"How did you know it was the pear-trees, sir?--it was dark."
"It sounded like pear-trees, sir, and you could hear the big pears
tumbling on the ground."
"Well, sir?"
Courtenay spoke out boldly and well. He did not hesitate in the least;
and I could not help feeling what a ragged dejected-looking object I
seemed, and how much appearances were against me.
"I said to Phil that we ought to try and catch the thieves, and he said
we would, so we crept up and charged them, and I had this boy, and I
suppose Phil brought that man, but it was so dark I could not see what
he did."
"Well, sir?"
"Well, papa, this boy knocked me about shamefully, and called me all
sorts of names."