“There’s no understanding any of it!” Matthew declared. “Of course, I see why he should take Belinda with him, but what can he want with this Mamble boy? Who is he? I never met any Mamble! Host, who is Mamble? Do you know him?”
“No, sir, I never see him before. He ain’t a native of these parts, nor he ain’t what I would call true Quality.” He coughed. “A great bacon-faced man, he is, as would make no more than a mouthful of Mr. Rufford—and very willing he is to do it, by what he said! He told the constable as he was an ironmaster from Kettering, and Master Tom his only son. He has it fixed in his head Mr. Rufford means to hold the lad to ransom, for he’s mighty plump in the pockets, which he makes no secret of. And it seems as how Mr. Rufford, or maybe some rogue with him (not but what I never saw no rogues in his company) gave Mr. Snape, the tutor, a wisty leveller, and made off with Master Tom while he was stretched out senseless on the ground. Leastway, that’s his story, and not for me to deny it.”
There seemed to be no way of arriving at an explanation of Tom’s entry into the Duke’s life, but the landlord’s frequent references to his activities led Captain Ware to demand a more exact account of them. The whole story of the attempted robbery on the Stevenage road was then poured into his ears. By the time the Duke’s masterly share in the business had been described to him, his crooked smile had dawned, but Matthew appeared to be stunned. He did not recover his power of speech until they had left the inn, and then he said feebly: “He must be mad!”
“Not he!” said Gideon, grinning.
“But, Gideon, whoever heard of Gilly’s behaving in such a fashion?” He sighed despairingly. “I do wish to God I knew what he is doing!”
“You had best accompany me to Aylesbury, then.”
“Yes, by Jove, I will!” Matthew declared, brightening. “For it is on my way, after all! And there is one thing, Gideon! it is of no use your saying that it is my fault that Gilly has run mad, for I never had anything to do with foisting the Mamble-boy on to him, and if he had gone back to town as soon as he had recovered those curst letters of mine he would never have been kidnapped!”
Gideon only grunted, but Mr. Liversedge said kindly: “Very true, Mr. Ware, very true, but it cannot be denied that your reprehensible conduct towards my unfortunate niece lies at the bottom of all. One must hope that it may be a lesson to you, and when one considers the dangers into which his Grace has been led—”
“Well, if that don’t beat all hollow!” exclaimed Matthew indignantly. “It was you who put my cousin in danger!”
“Precisely so,” agreed Mr. Liversedge. “And who but yourself, sir, was it who introduced me into his Grace’s life?”