Vivian's Lesson

by Elizabeth W. Grierson

Ronald’s smile was rather misty, to be sure, in spite of the warning Dr Armitage had given him about not breaking down or exciting Vivian, and his ‘Hallo, old chap!’ sounded rather choked; but what did it matter to Vivian, who pulled the dear curly head down on the pillow beside him, feeling that he could face the world again now that he had all his dear ones with him, and they had forgiven him freely!

They all talked for a little time, and then his mother cleared the room, and insisted that he should lie still and rest quietly for an hour after all the excitement which he had passed through, while she sat beside him in happy silence, holding his hand in hers.

Then she helped him to dress, and his father came and carried him out to his usual place under the lime-tree, where he spent a long happy morning, talking to his mother and Ronald, listening to all that they had to tell him of the events of the last six months, and pouring out his own story about the little cottage away in the Montagnes Noirs, and old Madame Genviève, and the gentle Nanette (of whom he had been really fond), and the kind peasant who had acted the Good Samaritan to him, and who had so unwittingly led him to safe shelter by suggesting that he should travel hidden in the Vicomte’s motor-car.

‘Father must find him out and give him something, mother,’ he said; ‘for if it had not been for him I would never have come here. Indeed, I think I would have turned ill by the roadside, for I can just remember how my legs ached and how funny my head felt. As for Madame Genviève, I don’t want ever to see her again,’ and he gave a little shudder as he remembered the dark days he had spent with her.

‘No, you need never see her again, my boy,’ said his mother, ‘and I think the best thing you can do is to put all thoughts of her out of your head.’

She did not add that although Vivian would not see the unkind old woman again, unless he had to go into the witness-box and witness against her, other people would make a point of finding her out, and making her explain how it was that Vivian came to live with her; for, after discussing the matter, the Vicomte and Mr Maxwell and Dr Armitage had all agreed that there was little doubt that she was in league with her son who had brought Vivian to the cottage, and who in his turn was doubtless in league with the gang of burglars who had broken into Eversley with such disastrous results.

The three gentlemen had gone to Dinard to meet the detective whom the Vicomte had telegraphed for; but Vivian was not told this, as it was thought better not to excite him more than could be helped; and when at last they returned in time for afternoon-tea (which the Vicomte had ordered out of courtesy to Mrs Armitage), bringing a stout, rosy-cheeked little man with them, who spoke French and English equally well, and who looked exactly like a farmer, it was quite a long time before the little boy grasped the fact that the stranger who listened so attentively, and seemed so interested in all his adventures, was really one of the cleverest detectives in Europe.

‘Bravo!’ he said at last, when, almost unknown to Vivian, the whole story had been drawn forth once more. ‘You are a very plucky fellow, Master Vivian, for I fancy that few grown men would have dared to tackle Jim Strivers as you did. Why, he is one of the best-known burglars in England, and a most dangerous man. It was a desperate step, even for him, to smuggle you into a carriage, and to tap you on the head to keep you still. I wonder they did not discover you at the Custom-House. One of them carried you like a baby, I dare say. However, he will find he has gone just one step too far this time. We will get rid of him for ten or fifteen years.’

‘Do you know his name?’ asked Vivian in surprise.

‘Yes, I do, now that you have described him to me,’ said the man, laughing. ‘I have a very large acquaintanceship with people of that kind, young sir; if I showed you my visiting-list you would be astonished. I wonder none of us thought of Jim before; but we didn’t know that he was in London just then, and his giving us the slip, and getting across to Paris like that, threw us off the scent.—However, I’ll be off to Paris as soon as is convenient to you, monsieur,’ and he bowed to the Vicomte. ‘There is no time to be lost if we want to catch the whole gang. For, now that the young gentleman has escaped, the old woman may give the alarm, though we will hope that she is in too great fear of her son to let him know a moment sooner than she could help.—I don’t expect she could write. Could she?’ he went on, turning sharply to Vivian.