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On a Sunday we may stroll quietly and decently in the gardens, and ye shall see." Seeing that Paddy and Jem were getting on well with the man, I returned to Doctor Chord. "'Tis all right," said I. "They have him in hand. We have only to sit still, and the whole thing is managed." Later I saw the three men in the road, Paddy and Jem embracing the almost tearful Strammers.
It is my expectation that Strammers will rise to this, and request the pleasure of their young friend's company; but if he hesitates Paddy will say that the young friend outside is a free-handed Irishman who would no more mind a shilling going from his pocket into that of another man than he would the crooking of an elbow when a good drink is to be had.
Whereupon the complacent Strammers lifted his arm and buried more than half his face in his quart pot. "It is," said Paddy earnestly. "And I'm doubting if even the best gardeners would be able to improve it. And says you: 'A quiet draught o' old ale is a good thing, 'Twould take a grand gardener to beat that word."
I wished to give Paddy and Jem plenty of time to conciliate Strammers, but I must say that the wait grew irksome. Finally I arose and went into the corridor and peered into the taproom. There were Paddy and Jem with their victim, the three of them seated affectionately in a row on a bench, drinking from quart pots of ale. Paddy was clapping the gardener on the shoulder.
"What's to be your mode of procedure?" said the Doctor, giving me a touch of his fine language. "We wait in the lane till the church bells have stopped ringing, then Paddy and Jem go up to the little door in the wall, and Paddy knocks nice and quietly, in the expectation that the door will be opened as quietly by Strammers, and thereupon Jem and Paddy will be let in."
I am a worthless fellow; I have no money, and my estate you can hardly see for the mortgages and trouble upon it; I am no fine suitor, but I love you more than them all; I do, upon my life!" "Here approaches Strammers in quest of his blunderbuss," she answered calmly. "Perhaps we had better give it to him."
Then the spirit of self-sacrifice arose in me, and, as you know, I sent your two servants to your rescue." The little man was looking through the window at this moment. Suddenly he started back, flinging up his hands. "My soul, he is again upon us," he cried. I hastily followed his glance, and saw the man Strammers making peaceful way toward the inn.
When I came to think over it I saw that Strammers would surely never recognize me as a gay spark of fashion when he had merely seen me once before, torn and ragged, coming down from a tree on top of his blunderbuss.
I flushed with shame, as if I really had been guilty of stealing the French pears. Lady Mary's first look upon me was one of pure astonishment. Then she quickly recognized the quaint threat expressed in the attitude of the blunderbuss. "Strammers," she cried, rushing forward, "what would you be doing to the gentleman?" "'Tis no gentleman, your la'ship," answered the man confidently.
"True for you, Master Strammers," cried Paddy enthusiastically. "It is in the way of being a good thing. There you are now. Ay, that's it. A good thing! Sure." "Ay," said Strammers, deeply moved by this appreciation, which he had believed should always have existed. "Ay, I spoke well." "Well would be no name for it," responded Paddy fervidly. "By gor, and I wish you were knowing Father Corrigan.
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