Next he showed them the entry of the death of the last squire, and of the luckless Guy, with Died by His own Hand, and Died in Delirium, written in crabbed, ill-spelt characters by the parson-brother, and then—
“It is not to be credited that my Unlucky Nephew saw His Ancestor’s Spirit. That is the same Idle Tale as was told by Peter Outhwaite when he came home from Rilston Market, and drowned his horse in the Flete. Albeit, there is Waynflete blood in the Outhwaites, for my Grandfather and his brother were Wild Youths. We be more Prudent now.”
“Ha!” said Guy, drawing a long breath. “I could not understand how these Outhwaites could see him. That soft lad is an Outhwaite, isn’t he? Is he the last of them?”
“Yes, except his old mother. She is a character, and very proud of her family. Her contempt for me is considerable. But poor Jem is an institution, and believes himself a pillar of the church. He is a good fellow in his way.”
“You spoke of enlarging the churchyard,” said Guy, suddenly, “if we—if my brother gave the ground. Couldn’t the wall come down, and the last squire’s grave be included? He could be forgiven now, couldn’t he?”
“Surely,” said the vicar. “If the ground were given, it could be done easily.”
“Of course,” said Godfrey, briefly. “What else ought we to do?”
Then the vicar unfolded his cherished scheme. The lease was just out of the Dragon, “that rowdy little public in Flete Dale, a curse to the place in every way, and the centre of mischief.” If Mr Waynflete would refuse to renew the lease—that was the place he should like for club, coffee-tavern, everything; several rooms—one large—the lads, unluckily, used to going there. “We should turn the devil’s flank on his own ground.”
As the young clergyman expounded the details of the newest and most up-to-date recipe for social, moral, and religious improvement, Guy moved the hand with which—it was a trick he had—he was shading his eyes, and looked him full in the face with such a gaze as brought him suddenly to a dead stop, a look of awe, inspiration, and resolute daring beyond description.
“That’s right. That shall be done!” he said. “That will turn the devil’s flank!”