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Stimcoe, I need scarcely say, had given us a whole holiday; and Stimcoe's and Rogerses met in amity for once, and cheered in the throng that carried the home-comers shoulder high to the Town Hall, where the Mayor had arrayed a public banquet. There were speeches at the banquet, and alcoholic liquors, both affecting in operation upon his Worship's guests.
It was borne in upon me later that during this interval of anarchy in the Stimcoe establishment it lasted two days, and may have lasted longer for aught I know I wasted little wonder on the continued absence of Captain Branscome. I was indeed kept anxious by my own fears, which did not decrease as the hours dragged by. From the window of Mr. Stimcoe's sickroom I watched the St.
Stimcoe had gone to bully another sedative out of the doctor, and there was no one in the house to admit a visitor I saw Captain Branscome below me on the doorstep. "Hallo!" said I, as cheerfully as I might, for Mr. Stimcoe was awake and listening. "Is is that Harry Brooks?" asked Captain Branscome, stepping back and feeling for his gold-rimmed glasses. But by some chance he was not wearing them.
Stimcoe produced a decanter of sherry a wine which Miss Plinlimmon abominated and poured her out a glassful, with the remark that it had been twice round the world; that Miss Plinlimmon supposed vaguely "the same happened to a lot of things in a seaport like Falmouth;" and that somehow this led us on to Mr.
Spargo a mild little man lifted his eyebrows. "Surely, madam " he began in a scandalized tone. "This is Harry Brooks." Mrs. Stimcoe introduced me loftily. "If you wish him to retire, be kind enough to say so, and have done with it. Our boarders, I may say, have the run of the house it is part of Mr. Stimcoe's system. But Harry has too much delicacy to remain where he feels himself de trop.
Stimcoe had been maudlin drunk for a week and could not appear. I remember little of this lesson save that it dispensed wisely, no doubt with the use of the terrestrial globe; that it included a description of the admiral's country seat in Roscommon, and an account of a ball given by him to celebrate Mrs.
"On Captain Branscome, ma'am." "Oh! Did he send you with that message to Captain Branscome?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then why didn't you tell us so? Well, when you took the message, what did Captain Branscome say? And why didn't he go?" "He was not at home, ma'am. Mr. Stimcoe had given us a holiday in honour of the prisoners." "I see. So Captain Branscome was off on an outing? When did he return?"
She excused her condescension on the ground that the butler was out, taking the pupils for a walk; and conducted us to the parlour, where Mr. Stimcoe sat in an atmosphere which smelt faintly of sherry. Mr. Stimcoe rose and greeted us with a shaky hand. He wore a seedy clerical suit.
"Here's an outside extry." He lowered his voice, so that I caught only these words: "The youngster . . . Minden Cottage . . . I reckoned they'd be sending " "Hey?" Jim the guard bent over for a look at me, and scrambled down by the steps of his dickey, just as Mrs. Stimcoe emerged from the office.
"Brooks," said he, laying down the letter and pushing the spectacles high on his forehead while he gazed at me, "I want to ask you a question in confidence. Had Mrs. Stimcoe any difficulty in finding this money?" "Well, sir," said I, "I oughtn't perhaps to know it, but she pawned Stim Mr. Stimcoe's Cicero this morning, the six volumes with a shield on the covers, that he got as a prize at Oxford."
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