"Haw--haw--haw!" laughed Ike as soon as we were alone. "You're a pair
o' nice uns--you are! But you're ketched this time," he added.
"How dare you speak to us, sir!" cried Courtenay indignantly. "Hold
your tongue, sir!"
"No use to hold it now," said Ike laughing. "I say, don't you feel
warm?"
"Don't take any notice of the fellow, Court," cried Phil; "and as for
pauper--"
"You leave him to me," said Courtenay with a vindictive look. "I'll
make him remember telling his lies of me--yes, and of you too. He shall
remember to-night as long as he lives, unless he asks our pardon, as
soon as Sir Francis comes back and owns that it was he who was taking
the pears."
I turned away from them and spoke to Ike, who was asking me about my
hurts.
"Oh! they're nothing," I said--"only a few scratches and bruises. I
don't mind them."
The two boys were whispering eagerly together, and I heard Philip say: "Well, ask him; he'd do anything for money."
"Look here," said Courtenay.
I believe he was going to offer to bribe us; but just then there was the
sound of voices in the garden and Sir Francis appeared directly after,
candle in hand, closely followed by Mr Solomon, and both of them
looking very serious, though somehow it did not have the slightest
effect on me, for I was watching the faces of Courtenay and Philip.
"Shut that window, Brownsmith," said Sir Francis, as he set down his
candle and went back to his chair behind the table.
Mr Solomon shut the window, and then came forward and set down his
candle in turn.
"Now," said Sir Francis, "we can finish this business, I think. You
say, Grant, that you heard someone climb over the wall by the big
trained pear-tree?"
"I heard two people come over, sir, and one of them fell down, and, I
think, broke a small tree or bush."
"Yes," said Sir Francis, "a bush is broken, and someone has climbed over
by that big pear-tree."
"I digged that bit along that wall only yesterday," said Ike.
"Be silent, sir," cried Sir Francis; "stop. Come forward; set a candle
down on the floor, Brownsmith."
It was done.
"You, Isaac, hold up one of your feet--there, by the candle. No, no,
man; I want to see the sole."
Ike held up a foot as if he were a horse about to be shod, and growled
out: "Fifteen and six, master, and warranted water-tights."
"That will do, my man," said Sir Francis, frowning severely as if to
hide a smile; and Ike put down his great boot and went softly back to
his place.
"Now you, Grant," said Sir Francis.
I walked boldly to the candle and held up my heavily-nailed garden
boots, so that Sir Francis could see the soles.