Of High Descent Part 45

"How's that?" he thought. "Did I--No."

He ran out into the pa.s.sage, saw that his office door was open, and entered to receive the blow which laid him senseless before the safe.

Van Heldre did not lie there long.

Crampton came away from the old inn, stick in hand, conscious of having done a good evening's work over the business of the Fishermen's Benefit Club, the men having paid up with unusual regularity; but all the same, he did not feel satisfied. Those pedlar sailor men troubled him. They had been hanging about the town for some time, and though he knew nothing against them, he had, as a respectable householder, a confirmed dislike to all nomadic trading gentry. To him they were, whether Jew or Gentile, French or German, all gipsies, and belonging to a cla.s.s who, to use his words, never took anything out of their reach.

He felt sure that the man he had seen in the darkness was one of these, and warning himself now for not having taken further notice of the matter, he determined to call at his employer's on his way home to mention the fact.

"Better late than never," he said, and he stumped steadily down the main street as a man walks who is possessed of a firm determination to do his duty.

As he went on he peered down every one of the dark, narrow alleys which led to the waterside places, all reeking of tar and old cordage, and creosoted nets, and with more than a suspicion of the celebrated ancient and fish-like smell so often quoted.

"If I had my way," said Crampton, "I'd have a lamp at each end of those places. They're too dark--too dark."

But though he scanned each place carefully, he did not see any lurking figure, and he went on till he reached his employer's house, where, through the well-lit window, he could see Mrs Van Heldre looking plump, rosy, and smiling, as she busied herself in putting away her work.

Crampton stopped at the opposite side, took off his hat and scratched his head.

"Now if I go and tell him what I think, he'll call me a nervous old fool, and abuse me for frightening his wife."

He hesitated, and instead of going to the front door, feeling that perhaps, after all, he had taken an exaggerated view of things, he went on to the corner of the house and lane, with the intention of having a look round and then going on home.

He had just gone about half-way, when there was a loud rap given by the gate leading down into Van Heldre's yard. Some one had thrown it violently back against the wooden stop, and that somebody had sprung out and run down the lane in the opposite direction to that by which the old clerk had come.

"Hah!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, and hurrying on he hastily descended the steps, entered the pa.s.sage, and trembling now in every limb, made his way into the office, where, with all the regular method of the man of business, he quickly took a box of matches from the chimney-piece, and turned on and lit one of the gas-burners.

The soft light from the ground-gla.s.s globe showed nothing wrong as he glanced round.

Yes: something was missing--the heavy ebony ruler which always reposed on the two bra.s.s hooks like a weapon of war at the end of his desk.

That was gone.

Crampton's brow knitted, and his hands shook so that he could hardly strike a second match, as he pushed open the door and entered the inner office, where, forcing himself not to look round, he lit another gas-jet before taking in the scene at a glance.

There lay Van Heldre, bleeding profusely from a terrible cut on the forehead, the safe was open, and in a very few minutes the old clerk knew that the packet of bank-notes was gone.

"But I've got all their numbers entered," he said to himself, as he went down on his knee by his master's side, and now, knowing the worst, growing moment by moment more calm and self-contained.

His first act was to take his voluminous white cravat from his neck, and bind it tightly round Van Heldre's temples to staunch the bleeding.

"I knew no good would come of it," he muttered. "I felt it from the first. Are you much hurt, sir?" he said aloud, with his lips close to the injured man's ear.

There was no reply: just a spasm and a twitching of the hands.

"What shall I do?" thought Crampton. "Give the alarm? No: only frighten those poor women into fits. Fetch the doctor."

He hurried out by the back way as quietly as he could, and caught the princ.i.p.al medical man just as he was going up to bed for a quiet night.

"Eh? Van Heldre?" he said. "Bless my soul! On directly. Back way?"

"Yes."

Crampton hurried out, displaying wonderful activity for so old a man, and took the police station on his way back.

The force in Hakemouth was represented by a sergeant and two men, the former residing at the cottage which bore the words "Police Station"

over the door.

"Where is your husband?" said Crampton to a brisk-looking woman.

"On his rounds, sir."

"I want him at our office. Can I find him? Can you?"

"I know where he'll be in about ten minutes, sir," said the woman promptly, as if she were a doctor's helpmate.

"Very well," said Crampton. "Get him and send him on."

The divergence had taken so long that he had hardly reached the office and poured out some water from a table filter, to bathe the injured man's face, when he heard the doctor's step.

"Hah!" said the latter, after a brief examination, "we must get him to bed, Mr Crampton."

"Is he much hurt, sir?"

"Badly. There is a fracture of the skull. It must have been a terrible blow. Thieves, of course?"

"Or thief, sir," said the old clerk, with his lip quivering. "My dear master! what would his poor father have said?"

"Hus.h.!.+ Be firm, man," said the doctor, who was busy readjusting the bandage. "Does Mrs Van Heldre know?" Crampton shook his head. "I found him like this, sir, and came over to fetch you at once."

"But she must be told."

"John, John dear, are you there? I thought you had gone on to fetch Madelaine."

Crampton rose hastily to try and bar the way; but he was too late. Mrs Van Heldre was at the door, and had caught a glimpse of the prostrate man.

"Doctor Knatchbull! what is the matter--a fit?"

The trouble was culminating, for another voice was heard in the gla.s.s corridor.

"Papa! papa! here is Mr Vine. He walked home with me. I made him come in. Oh, what a shame to be at work so late!"

"Keep her--keep her back," gasped Mrs Van Heldre, and then with a piteous sob she sank down by Van Heldre's side.

"John, my husband! speak to me, oh, speak," she moaned as she raised his head to her lap.

"Ah, you want Brother Luke to you, John Van," cried Vine, as with Madelaine on his arm he came to the door of the inner room.

There was a moment's silence, and then Madelaine uttered a wild cry, and ran to her father's side.