As the bell clanged Mr. Jordan came out of his door. He had been ordered to remain quiet and take no exercise; but now, leaning on his stick and holding the door jamb, he came forth.
‘What is this?’ he asked, and Jasper put his hand to the rope to arrest the upward cast. ‘Why are you ringing, Barbara? Who told you to do so?’
‘I bade her ring,’ said Jasper, ‘to call these,’ he pointed to the door.
Several constables were visible; foremost came Joseph and a prison warder.
‘Take him!’ cried Mr. Jordan: ‘arrest the fellow. Here he is—he is unarmed.’
‘What! Mr. Jasper!’ asked Joseph. Among the servants and labourers the young steward was only known as Mr. Jasper. ‘Why, sir, this is—this is—Mr. Jasper!’
‘This is the man,’ said Ignatius Jordan, clinging to the door-jamb and pointing excitedly with his stick,—’this is the man who robbed his own father of money that was mine. This is the man who was locked up in jail and broke out, and, by the mercy and justice of Heaven, was cast at my door.’
‘I beg your pardon, sir,’ said Joseph, ‘I don’t understand. This is your steward, Mr. Jasper.’
‘Take him, handcuff him before my eyes. This is the fellow you have been in search of; I deliver him up.’
‘But, sir,’ said the warder, ‘you are wrong. This is not our escaped convict.’