UNDER ARREST.
We left Leicester and Mr. Thaxton, assisted by Stumpy, carrying Job to the nearest magistrate.
When Leicester had, as well as he was able, removed his disguise, and Job saw that Leicester was alive and in the flesh, he had shown the greatest joy, and that notwithstanding the personal peril which Leicester's whim had placed him in.
After a time, when Job reflected upon all the consequences which would fall upon himself, he grew wonderfully quiet, and sat at the bottom of the cart sullen and moody.
"I suppose I'll be hanged," he said, "and I deserve it; but I'll tell the whole truth, Maester Leicester, every word of it."
"In that case," said Leicester, "I will do my best to shield you from punishment."
"I'll turn King's evidence," said Job, with a grin. "I won't turn on the boys; but I'll be even with the captain, curse him!"
Mr. Thaxton exchanged glances with Leicester, and drove on in silence.
As the morning broke they had left the ruined chapel a long way behind, and were nearing Tenby. At this point Mr. Thaxton pulled up, and desired Leicester to step out of the cart, as he wished to say a word to him.
Leicester alighted, nodding to Job, warningly.
"Do not attempt to escape," he said; "I warn you."
"You leave him to me, sir," said Stumpy, cheerfully and significantly, and Leicester followed Mr. Thaxton.
"It has just occurred to me, or rather I have been thinking of it all the way—that you are under a warrant still, Mr. Dodson! Any moment you are liable to arrest. There is a hundred pounds reward, remember, and so large an amount makes men keen. In Tenby there are many men who know you—or at least must have seen you often; you may be detected."
"Not through this disguise," said Leicester.
"Not through that disguise; but by your voice; you cannot disguise that sufficiently. I should have known you by it. Better stay out of the way quietly a while until Job's deposition is taken."
"Very well," said Leicester, "I follow your advice to the letter. All I want is to be near those I love and protect them until that villain is under lock and key. Then it does not matter what becomes of me," he added, sadly.
"Hem!" said Mr. Thaxton, "I think I know what is the matter. I have heard of Miss Mildmay's engagement, but that may be put right."
"Not by me," said Leicester, in a low voice. "I love her still, but I will not interfere with the quiet happiness which she enjoys. Fitz is a better man than I—and—but, there, let us talk no more of it," and he jumped into the cart.
At that moment, while Mr. Thaxton was starting the horse, they heard the noise of wheels behind them, and before they were scarce aware of it a small, high gig was close beside them.
"Hello!" called out a voice, which Leicester seemed to recognize. "What, is it vegetables? no, small party enjoying themselves. Oh! what's that? A man handcuffed!" And before any one could prevent him he had dropped from his own gig and jumped into their cart.
"I know your face, my man," he said to Job, "and yours too, sir, if I'm not mistaken. You are a lawyer, Mr. Thaxton—concerned in the little affair at Penruddie; may I ask where you are taking this man—Job is his name, I think?"
Mr. Thaxton glanced at Leicester, apprehensively.
"You are quite right," he said. "The man's name is Job, and I am a lawyer. I detected him robbing this gentleman—a Spaniard—and his servant, and I am assisting them to take him to the nearest station."
"Hem!" said the stranger.
"But you have the advantage of me," continued Mr. Thaxton. "For, although I seem to know your voice, I do not recognize you. May I ask upon what ground you thus exercise your curiosity?"
"Oh," said the stranger, with a laugh, putting off a large beard which had nearly concealed his face, "I'm Detective Dockett! You know me now, I suppose."
"Oh, dear me, yes," said Mr. Thaxton, shooting another glance at Leicester more apprehensive than the last. "I am glad to see you. I suppose you are going on to Tenby; you will be there before I shall—I am surprised your horse doesn't run away——"
"He won't run away," said Mr. Dockett. "He'd follow me down a coal mine, or up in a balloon. Yes, I'm going on to Tenby, sir. I've had a little smuggling job on here. Perhaps I can do something for you in Tenby? Rum case that Penruddie murder, wasn't it? I suppose nothing has ever turned up, sir?"
"You are the person to know best about that. You were engaged in the case. No, nothing more ever transpired. No doubt Mr. Leicester Dodson committed the deed, and was killed himself in the struggle. But it is a painful case—and I don't like to talk about it."
"Just so," said Mr. Dockett. "Well, I think I'll get into my trap. Good-night, gentlemen. Good-night, señor."
Leicester, who had kept his face turned away as much as possible, bowed gravely, and muttered good-night in Spanish.
As he did so Mr. Dockett, who had risen, plumped down on the side of the cart again and looked at him out of the corner of his eyes.
"Been long in England, señor?" he asked.
"The gentleman doesn't speak English," said Mr. Thaxton.
"Just ask him, will you, sir?" said Mr. Dockett, with a pleasant smile.
Mr. Thaxton jabbered something meant to imitate Spanish, and Leicester, who, notwithstanding his perilous position, could scarcely restrain his laughter, answered him.
Again, at the sound of Leicester's voice, Mr. Dockett got a little closer and eyed him.
Then he rose.
"Ah," he said, "get a bad opinion of England if he gets robbed like this; this chap tried to pick his pocket?"
"No; steal his portmanteau," said Mr. Thaxton.
"Good-night," said Mr. Dockett, and he made a step forward, but the cart seemed to jolt at that moment, for he missed his footing, staggered, and fell against Leicester, managing as he fell to drag off Leicester's hat, spectacles and false beard.
Then, before any one could utter a word, he leaped to his feet, laid his hand upon Leicester's shoulder, and, with a quiet grin, said:
"Mr. Leicester Dodson, I arrest you on a charge of willful murder! Here is the warrant—I've always carried it with me. No resistance, I hope?"
"None," said Leicester, with a dread calmness. "I surrender, Mr. Dockett."
"Now that's what I call right and proper and gentlemanly," said Mr. Dockett, admiringly. "But, bless my heart and soul! who'd ever have thought that I should have dropped upon you here and at this time, and like this?"
"Did you not know it was us?" said Mr. Thaxton, sadly. "Were you not following us?"
"No," said Mr. Dockett, with a quiet chuckle. "I was on quite a different job. Not that I thought you would never turn up. I wasn't taken in by that story of your falling over the cliff. It wasn't likely a gentleman with such muscle as you, would allow yourself to be pulled over by a half-drunken, wounded man. No, I knew you'd turn up again some day, and I was waiting my time. And here you are!"
"Yes," said Leicester, "and you have earned your hundred pounds. So you think I committed the murder?"
"I think you'll be hung for it," said Mr. Dockett, after a minute's silence.
"Thank you," said Leicester with a grim smile. "It is candid of you, Mr. Dockett."
"Well, sir, no offence. I'm certain that if you didn't do the trick you knew something about it."
"I did not do it, and I did not know anything about it. But there sits a man who does know something about it."
And he pointed to Job.
"Ah!" said Mr. Dockett.
"Yes," said Mr. Thaxton. And then, motioning to Leicester to be silent, he told Mr. Dockett all that had occurred and all that Job had confessed in the ruined chapel.
Mr. Dockett listened most attentively to the concise and exact statement made by the lawyer, scarcely taking his eyes from Job the while, and yet taking note of every movement made by the others.
Then he said, when Mr. Thaxton had finished:
"And I suppose all this little story about the robbery was a cover. You meant to take Job here on to Tenby?"
"To make his statement and obtain a warrant for the real criminal," said Mr. Thaxton.
Mr. Dockett indulged in a quiet chuckle.
"That's good," he said. "Why, you would have played into Captain M.'s hands. Nothing would have been nicer for him."
"How so?" asked Mr. Thaxton.
"Why, thus," said Mr. Dockett. "You go, we'll say, to Tenby; you take this precious old rascal before a magistrate. What he does is to issue a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Leicester, and one for the captain. The captain surrenders, of course, and comes up for examination. He braves it out, declares the whole thing is a plant to get Mr. Leicester out of the scrape, says Job has been bribed, and defies you to produce a tittle of evidence against him. You can't, you know, not at present; the magistrate says he must discharge the captain, who leaves the court without a stain upon his honor. Meanwhile Mr. Leicester comes up, all the evidence already against him is produced, the nasty impression of the attempt to incriminate the captain is brought to bear, and Mr. Leicester is committed for trial. All the while between the examination and the trial we rake up more evidence, and the whole thing is brought to a conclusion."
"As how?" said Mr. Thaxton, who was deeply impressed by the detective's argument.
"Mr. Leicester is hung for the murder of James Starling, and Captain Murpoint—or rather Sir Howard Murpoint, M. P.—marries the wealthy Miss Mildmay, and lives happy ever afterward."
Leicester rose to his full height stern and threatening.
"One word more of such impertinence, sir, and I fling you out of the cart! How dare you make use of that lady's name, sir?"
"Whew!" exclaimed Mr. Dockett. "You haven't heard the news."
"News, what news?" asked Leicester, sternly.
"That the captain is to be made a baronet, and that he is to marry his ward, Miss Mildmay."
"It is false!" said Leicester, grasping Mr. Thaxton's arm, madly.
"Very likely," said Mr. Dockett. "They say nothing's true as is in the papers. This was in all of 'em yesterday morning, and, with no offence, I'll bet there's something in it, gentlemen."
"It must not be," said Leicester, groaning. "I would rather see her in her grave. She may marry Fitz, or any honest man, so that she is happy, but not that scoundrel, not that villain! Look you, sir," he said, turning suddenly to Mr. Dockett and laying a hand upon his arm to emphasize his words, "you will gain a hundred pounds by my arrest. Now, I say nothing about my own innocence or my guilt, I say no more on that score; but I say this, and this gentleman will bear me out, I will give you one thousand pounds if you will take the trouble to investigate the statement you heard from this man. One thousand pounds! It is a fair sum! You are not to prove my innocence—let that go, but to prove his guilt; any part will do, so that it prevents this marriage."
"Agreed on," said Mr. Dockett. "I'll take the contract, on condition that everything is left in my hands."
Mr. Thaxton conferred with Leicester for a few minutes, and then Leicester answered:
"We agree to trust you; and if the reflection will have any weight in keeping you faithful and honest, unswerving in your task, I would have you remember that in trusting you I do so wholly, being tied hand and foot in jail."
"Exactly," said Mr. Dockett, with a queer twinkle of the eye. "Then, as we are agreed, I'll get you to allow me to drive."
And he took the reins from Mr. Thaxton's hands, calling to Stumpy:
"Young man, just get into my gig, will you, and follow on after."
So saying he turned the cart round and drove back toward Penruddie.
When they got near the village he stopped the horse and unfastened Job's bonds.
"Now you get home, Mr. Job," he said, quietly, and fixing a significant glance upon Job's face. "You go on as usual, and keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. See, I trust you, because I know you know me. I'm Detective Dockett, of her majesty's police, Scotland Yard, and when I trust a man and find him false, I go for him, and put my hand on him if he's at the other end of the world—I've such a long arm—and when I've got him I don't let him go till he's had a taste of her majesty's jail and skilly. But there, I needn't tell you what I can do, for you know me."
Job nodded sullenly, and looked up at Leicester.
"I don't want no threats," he said. "I'll do my duty by Maester Leicester there if I swing for it."
And, with an affectionate glance, he hurried off.
"Now, gentlemen," said Mr. Dockett, pleasantly, "we must break up the party. I think you had better get back to town, sir; we shall want a lawyer directly."
"Very well," said Mr. Thaxton.
"As for you, sir, of course, you're under arrest; I've got your word for that."
Leicester nodded.
"Then I think, sir, you and your man will go to Sanderson's—where you were before, you know—and wait till the evening. I'll come to you. By the way, I haven't had the pleasure of your man's acquaintance."
Here Stumpy turned round and rather dolefully presented himself for inspection.
Mr. Dockett looked hard at him and turned aside.
"Ah!" he said. "I don't know him, I think, but I may some day, and very good friends we shall be."
Stumpy suppressed a groan, then suddenly tore off his wig and with a desperate recklessness exclaimed:
"'Tain't no use, I know it ain't! You'd find it out some day, sooner or later! Here I am, sir!"
"Eh?" said Mr. Dockett, with genuine astonishment. "Why, hang me, if this isn't a regular pantomime! You're the man who was split upon by the general and got it for life?"
Stumpy nodded his head desperately.
"Right you are," he said. "Put 'em on," and he held out his hands for the handcuffs.
Mr. Dockett, however, seemed to enjoy the joke so much as to be incapable of doing his duty.
"Well, if this isn't a pantomime," he chuckled. "No, no; I don't want you yet, go with that gentleman, if he'll have you——"
"That I will!" said Leicester, laying his hand upon Stumpy's hand. "He has been faithful and honest to me, let the rest of the world say what it will."
"Go there with him then, sir," said Mr. Dockett, and he turned, with a cheerful nod, to the village.
Stumpy, however, ran after him and, laying one hand upon the side of the cart, whispered a few words in the detective's ear.
"Eh?" said Mr. Dockett. "The general's not dead! Is it true? Come!" and his eyes sparkled. "Where is he?"
But Stumpy, having succeeded in exciting the hitherto calm officer into something like eagerness, ran back and joined Leicester, leaving Mr. Dockett driving toward the village and muttering:
"Not dead! Is it true, I wonder? Heaven! if he isn't how I should like to have the collaring of him. So the general's not dead! It's too good to be true!"