CHAPTER XXIX
MR. POMEROY'S PLAN
Mr. Pomeroy chuckled as he went down the stairs. Things had gone so wellfor him, he owed it to himself to see that they went better, he hadmounted with a firm determination to effect a breach even if it cost himmy lord's enmity. He descended, the breach made, the prize open tocompetition, and my lord obliged by friendly offices andunselfish service.
Mr. Pomeroy smiled. 'She is a saucy baggage,' he muttered, 'but I'vetamed worse. 'Tis the first step is hard, and I have taken that. Now todeal with Mother Olney. If she were not such a fool, or if I could berid of her and Jarvey, and put in the Tamplins, all's done. But she'dtalk! The kitchen wench need know nothing; for visitors, there are nonein this damp old hole. Win over Mother Olney and the Parson--and I don'tsee where I can fail. The wench is here, safe and tight, and bread andwater, damp and loneliness will do a great deal. She don't deservebetter treatment, hang her impudence!'
But when he appeared in the hall an hour later, his gloomy face told adifferent story. 'Where's Doyley?' he growled; and stumbled over a dog,kicked it howling into a corner. 'Has he gone to bed?'
The tutor, brooding sulkily over his wine, looked up. 'Yes,' he said, asrudely as he dared--he was sick with disappointment. 'He is going inthe morning.'
'And a good riddance!' Pomeroy cried with an oath. 'He's off it, is he?He gives up?'
The tutor nodded gloomily. 'His lordship is not the man,' he said, withan attempt at his former manner, 'to--to--'
'To win the odd trick unless he holds six trumps,' Mr. Pomeroy cried.'No, by God! he is not. You are right, Parson. But so much the betterfor you and me!'
Mr. Thomasson sniffed. 'I don't follow you,' he said stiffly.
'Don't you? You weren't so dull years ago,' Mr. Pomeroy answered,filling a glass as he stood. He held it in his hand and looked over itat the other, who, ill at ease, fidgeted in his chair, 'You could puttwo and two together then, Parson, and you can put five and fivetogether now. They make ten--thousand.'
'I don't follow you,' the tutor repeated, steadfastly looking away fromhim.
'Why? Nothing is changed since we talked--except that he is out of it!And that that is done for me for nothing, which I offered you fivethousand to do. But I am generous, Tommy. I am generous.'
'The next chance is mine,' Mr. Thomasson cried, with a glance of spite.
Mr. Pomeroy, looking down at him, laughed--a galling laugh. 'Lord!Tommy, that was a hundred years ago,' he said contemptuously.
'You said nothing was changed!'
'Nothing is changed in my case,' Mr. Pomeroy answered confidently,'except for the better. In your case everything is changed--for theworse. Did you take her part upstairs? Are your hands clean now? Doesshe see through you or does she not? Or, put it in another way, myfriend. It is your turn; what are you going to do?'
'Go,' the tutor answered viciously. 'And glad to be quit.'
Mr. Pomeroy sat down opposite him. 'No, you'll not go,' he said in a lowvoice; and drinking off half his wine, set down the glass and regardedthe other over it. 'Five and five are ten, Tommy. You are no fool, and Iam no fool.'
'I am not such a fool as to put my neck in a noose,' the tutor retorted.'And there is no other way of coming at what you want, Mr. Pomeroy.'
'There are twenty,' Pomeroy returned coolly. 'And, mark you, if I fail,you are spun, whether you help rue or no. You are blown on, or I canblow on you! You'll get nothing for your cut on the head.'
'And what shall I get if I stay?'
'I have told you.'
'The gallows.'
'No, Tommy. Eight hundred a year.'
Mr. Thomasson sneered incredulously, and having made it plain that herefused to think--thought! He had risked so much in this enterprise,gone through so much; and to lose it all! He cursed the girl'sfickleness, her coyness, her obstinacy! He hated her. And do what hemight for her now, he doubted if he could cozen her or get much fromher. Yet in that lay his only chance, apart from Mr. Pomeroy. His eyewas cunning and his tone sly when he spoke.
'You forget one thing,' he said. 'I have only to open my lips after Ileave.'
'And I am nicked?' Mr. Pomeroy answered. 'True. And you will get ahundred guineas, and have a worse than Dunborough at your heels.'
The tutor wiped his brow. 'What do you want?' he whispered.
'That old hag of a housekeeper has turned rusty,' Pomeroy answered.'She has got it into her head something is going to be done to the girl.I sounded her and I cannot trust her. I could send her packing, butJarvey is not much better, and talks when he is drunk. The girl must begot from here.'
Mr. Thomasson raised his eyebrows scornfully.
'You need not sneer, you fool!' Pomeroy cried with a little spirt ofrage.' 'Tis no harder than to get her here.'
'Where will you take her?'
'To Tamplin's farm by the river. There, you are no wiser, but you maytrust me. I can hang the man, and the woman is no better. They have donethis sort of thing before. Once get her there, and, sink me! she'll beglad to see the parson!'
The tutor shuddered. The water was growing very deep. 'I'll have no partin it!' he said hoarsely. 'No part in it, so help me God!'
'There's no part for you!' Mr. Pomeroy answered with grim patience.'Your part is to thwart me.'
Mr. Thomasson, half risen from his chair, sat down again. 'What do youmean?' he muttered.
'You are her friend. Your part is to help her to escape. You're to sneakto her room to-morrow, and tell her that you'll steal the key when I'mdrunk after dinner. You'll bid her be ready at eleven, and you'll lether out, and have a chaise waiting at the end of the avenue. The chaisewill be there, you'll put her in, you'll go back to the house. I supposeyou see it now?'
The tutor stared in wonder. 'She'll get away,' he said.
'Half a mile,' Mr. Pomeroy answered drily, as he filled his glass.' ThenI shall stop the chaise--with a pistol if you like, jump in--a merrysurprise for the nymph; and before twelve we shall be at Tamplin's. Andyou'll be free of it.'
Mr. Thomasson pondered, his face flushed, his eyes moist. 'I think youare the devil!' he said at last.
'Is it a bargain? And see here. His lordship has gone silly on the girl.You can tell him before he leaves what you are going to do. He'll leaveeasy, and you'll have an evidence--of your good intentions!' Mr. Pomeroyadded with a chuckle. 'Is it a bargain?'
'I'll not do it!' Mr. Thomasson cried faintly. 'I'll not do it!'
But he sat down again, their heads came together across the table; theytalked long in low voices. Presently Mr. Pomeroy fetched pen and paperfrom a table in one of the windows; where they lay along with one or twoodd volumes of Crebillon, a tattered Hoyle on whist, and Foote's jestbook. A note was written and handed over, and the two rose.
Mr. Thomasson would have liked to say a word before they parted as to noviolence being contemplated or used; something smug and fair-seemingthat would go to show that his right hand did not understand what hisleft was doing. But even his impudence was unequal to the task, and witha shamefaced good-night he secured the memorandum in his pocket-book andsneaked up to bed.
He had every opportunity of carrying out Pomeroy's suggestion to makeLord Almeric his confidant. For when he entered the chamber which theyshared, he found his lordship awake, tossing and turning in the shade ofthe green moreen curtains; in a pitiable state between chagrin and rage.But the tutor's nerve failed him. He had few scruples--it was not that;but he was weary and sick at heart, and for that night he felt that hehad done enough. So to all my lord's inquiries he answered as sleepilyas consisted with respect, until the effect which he did not wish toproduce was produced. The young roue's suspicions were aroused, and ona sudden he sat up in bed, his nightcap quivering on his head.
'Tommy!' he cried feverishly. 'What is afoot downstairs? Now, do youtell me the truth.'
'Nothing,' Mr. Thomasson answered soothingly.
'Because--well, she's played it uncommon low on me, uncommon low she'splayed it,' my lo
rd complained pathetically; 'but fair is fair, andwilling's willing! And I'll not see her hurt. Pom's none too nice, Iknow, but he's got to understand that. I'm none of your Methodists,Tommy, as you are aware, no one more so! But, s'help me! no one shalllay a hand on her against her will!'
'My dear lord, no one is going to!' the tutor answered, quaking in hisbed.
'That is understood, is it? Because it had better be!' the little lordcontinued with unusual vigour. 'I vow I have no cause to stand up forher. She's a d--d saucy baggage, and has treated me with--with d--ddisrespect. But, oh Lord! Tommy, I'd have been a good husband to her. Iwould indeed. And been kind to her. And now--she's made a fool of me!She's made a fool of me!'
And my lord took off his nightcap, and wiped his eyes with it.
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