Enquiry in Arlesey led him presently to the cottage inhabited by the Shotterys. Their account of the fire was necessarily imperfect, but they knew enough to be able to convince Gideon that it had been started by his enterprising cousin. He listened to them at first in surprise, and then with his crooked smile. But Nettlebed was quite thunderstruck, and said roundly that he had never known his Grace to do the like, and didn’t believe a word of it.
“Peace, fool!” said Gideon. “You know nothing about his Grace—as little as the rest of us! So he won free without our help! He is doing very well, in fact.”
“Captain Ware,” said Mr. Liversedge warmly, “you are in the right of it! Though I am a sufferer from his ingenuity, I bear him no malice. Indeed, it is very gratifying to see a man so young and so untried acquit himself so creditably! You will permit me to tell you that this little adventure has been the making of him. When I saw him first he was uncertain of himself: he had been too much cosseted, too carefully shielded from contact with the world. The experiences he has passed through will have done him a great deal of good: I have no scruple in asserting it, and it is a happiness to me to reflect that he owes his emancipation to me.”
This was too much for Nettlebed, who advanced upon Mr. Liversedge with such deadly purpose that he had to be called sharply to order. “Master Gideon!” he said explosively, “I’ve known you from your cradle, and stand by while that gaol-bird gammons you with his talk I will not! And his Grace, the while in the lord knows what case!”
“If one thing is more plain than another,” responded Gideon, “it is that his Grace stands in no need of our help! I own, if I had known what dangers he would run into I would not have let him set out as I did, but by God I am glad I did not know! This fellow is a rogue, but he is speaking the truth: his Grace has found himself. I wonder what took him to Hitchin?”
Matthew, who had been puzzling over it in silence, said: “Well, I don’t understand any of it! Why did he not go home when he had done what he came to do? What should have kept him in Hertfordshire?”
“Ay, and it’s my belief you can answer that!” said Nettlebed, addressing himself to Mr. Liversedge.
“Fellow,” said Mr. Liversedge loftily, “do not try my patience too far, or you will regret it! I have so far held my peace, but if you provoke me I shall disclose certain information so damaging to the Duke’s reputation that you will be sorry!”
Nettlebed wrung his hands. “Master Gideon!” he said imploringly, “it’s more than flesh and blood can bear! If you won’t let me make him swallow his lying words, will you give him over to the Law, and be done with it?”
“Captain Ware,” said Mr. Liversedge, “if you do any such thing, I must throw my scruples to the wind, and bring an action against your noble relative for abducting my ward!”