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It was an hour before noon when our travellers came suddenly upon the wide entrance to the valley. "How beautiful!" exclaimed Ned, as he reined up to gaze in admiration over the flowering plain, with its groups of noble trees. "Ay," said Maxton, enthusiastically, "you may well say that.
"I confess that I did forget that at the moment," answered Maxton, while the blood mounted to his forehead. "It is the foulest blot upon my country's honour; but I at least am guiltless of upholding the accursed institution, as, also, are thousands of my countrymen. I feel assured, however, that the time is coming when that blot shall be wiped away."
"But he said it was his sister," persisted Riddling. "He said so afterwards, in the club." "Maxton," said I, losing my temper, "is a fool and a knave and a liar. His sister indeed! Lady Mary! If he can't leave his sister out of this business I'll break every bone of his body." ... I perceived my temper was undoing me. I invented rapidly but thinly.
"Stratton!" said he, "what is all this story of your shaking Justin by the collar, and threatening to kill him if he didn't give up his wife to you? And why do you want to fight a duel with Maxton? What's it all about? Fire-eater you must be!
"D'ye mane to tell me," he said, slowly and with emphasis, "that I'm maybe sittin' at this minute on the top o' rale goold?" "You may be," answered Maxton, laughing.
The only point that puzzled the jury was the strong assertions of Captain Bunting, Maxton, and Collins, that, to their certain belief, the poor Celestial had dug beside them each day, and slept beside them each night for three weeks past, at a distance of three miles from the spot where the robbery took place.
"I guess they are not," replied Maxton, smiling; "but justice is strangely administered in these parts. Judge Lynch usually presides, and he is a stern fellow to deal with. If you listen to what the hunter, there, is saying just now, you will hear a case in point, if I mistake not." As Maxton spoke, a loud laugh burst from the men at the other end of the table. "How did it happen?" cried several.
"You see, Petrie," he began again, rapidly, "I did not entirely trust the agent. I've leased the house in the name of Professor Maxton..." "But, Smith," I cried, "what possible reason can there be for disguise?" "There's every reason," he snapped. "Why should you interest yourself in the Gables?" "Does no explanation occur to you?" "None whatever; to me the whole thing smacks of stark lunacy."
There were Lord Maxton, who was killed at Paardeberg while I was in Ladysmith, he was my senior by nearly a year, Philip, who is now Earl Ladislaw and who was about eighteen months younger than I, Mary, my contemporary within eight days, and Guy, whom we regarded as a baby and who was called, apparently on account of some early linguistic efforts, "Brugglesmith."
"Shut up, and don't answer back when you are spoken to by a prefect," retorted the small boy. "Look here, you haven't written your name on Watford's slate. They must, mustn't they, Maxton?" he added, turning to a boy who sat at the end of one of the back seats.
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