The New Forest Spy Part 5

"What about?" said Waller absently, for his thoughts were still in the forest along with the young stranger.

"Because she says she won't put up with it, and if you are to go in and out of the pantry helping yourself to what you please, she will complain to master as soon as he comes back."

"Oh, very well, Bella," giving the fresh-looking servant girl a nod.

"But aren't you hungry?"

"No."

"Well, you are a boy! You will want something to eat with your tea, won't you?"

"Yes, I suppose so. But I say, Bella, have you heard anything about there being soldiers in the forest?"

"Oh, yes," said the girl eagerly. "You haven't seen any of them, have you?"

"I? No," said Waller quickly. "What have you heard?"

"Oh, I only heard what Tony Gusset said to Martha when he came in to talk to her last night."

"What!" cried Waller. "Was that old stupid here last night?"

"Yes; but he wasn't here long. Martha won't let him stay. She soon bundles him off again. She told me that he wouldn't be so fond of his sister if she wasn't the cook and couldn't ask him to have something to eat when he came. She does hate to see him here."

"But what did he tell her?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the girl pettishly.

"Yes, you do, Bella. Tell me."

"Well, will you promise to be a good boy and come back to your meals at proper times, and not keep everything waiting about?"

"Oh, yes, of course. Now what was it?"

"Oh, he told her that the French had landed on the coast to turn the King off the throne and put a new foreign one on it, and that the soldiers had met them and beaten them, all but a few who were spies, and had hidden themselves in the forest; but they were catching them all till there were hardly any left, and they were looking for them. And Tony Gusset said there was a reward of a hundred pounds offered for every one that was caught, and he meant to catch one and make himself rich."

"He had better mind his mending shoes and hammering his old lapstone,"

cried Waller, with an unwonted show of anger. "What's it got to do with him?"

"There, now, if that isn't funny!" said the girl, clapping her hands.

"Why, that's just what Martha said to him, and he quite quarrelled with her. He said it was his duty as the village constable to apprehend all vagabonds, and that if his sister did not know how to pay him more respect he should not stoop to come and speak to her again."

"Well done, cook!" cried Waller, laughing. "What then?"

"Why, she up and told him that he was only a lazy vagabond himself, for he never did hardly any work, and that since he had been made constable the place had not been big enough to hold him. But there, I can't stop talking here; I have got to get your tea. What am I to say to Martha about your taking that pork-pie?"

"Nothing," said Waller gruffly.

"But she meant it for your tea."

"Well, I had it for lunch instead. Now go away and don't bother."

"Well, I am sure!" cried the girl. "What's come to you, Master Waller?

You're as cross as two sticks."

"Of course I am, if you stop chattering here instead of getting me my tea."

"But it won't be tea-time for another hour."

"I tell you it's always tea-time for anyone who hasn't had any dinner, so go and get it at once."

Bella went out of the room, and gave the door a regular whisk to make it bang, but repented directly after, and let it strike against her foot, so that it was closed quietly.

Waller jumped up from his chair in an unwonted state of excitement, as soon as he was alone, and began to walk hurriedly up and down the room.

"Then it's all true," he mused. "There are soldiers about, and if they catch that poor fellow they will march him off to prison--and he is so ill after being hunted about. Oh, it's too bad!" he continued, growing more and more excited. "And there's no knowing what they would do.

Why, they hung the poor wretch who wasn't much more than a boy for stealing that sheep; and I believe it was only because he was hungry and out of work. Here, I know I oughtn't to interfere, but father isn't at home, and I feel as if I ought to do something. I want to do something.

It seems so horrid. Suppose it had been I who went on like that poor fellow did. I don't think I should ever do such a thing as he has, but what did he say? He came over with his father. Well, suppose I went over to France with my father. Of course, it isn't likely, but one might have done such a thing, and I daresay they have got a New Forest in France. To be sure they have, and I know its name--Fountainebleau.

Only fancy if I were being hunted through that place by soldiers. Ugh!

If there was a young fellow there found me--a young fellow just about my age--and did not help me, he'd be a brute."

In his excitement the boy went on marching up and down the quaint, old panelled dining-room, with his fists clenched and his eyes staring, as he recalled the scene in the woods that morning.

Just as he was opposite the door it was thrown open quickly by Bella, who entered with the tea-tray, and who stopped short, startled by the boy's fierce looks, while as he turned sharply round to march to the other end of the room, Bella hurriedly placed the tea-tray upon the table, and then hastened back to go and tell Martha the cook that she believed Master Waller was going mad.

CHAPTER SIX.

A GOOD APPEt.i.tE.

"Yes, I'll mad him," retorted the cook, "if he comes meddling with my larder when my back's turned. I have a very great mind not to finish cooking those sausage-meat cakes for his tea--behaving like that when the Squire's out!"

But all the same Martha Gusset, who was a pleasant, portly dame, went back to her fire to continue her hurried cooking for her young master's evening meal.

Meanwhile, without a thought of eating or drinking, Waller was still marching up and down the dining-room making up his mind what he should do; and, this made up, he waited impatiently for the maid's return to finish her preparations, which were concluded by her bearing in a covered dish which evidently contained something hot and steaming, the vapour which escaped from beneath the cover having a very pleasant, savoury odour.

"There, Master Waller," said the girl good-humouredly. "Now, do make a good tea, there's a good boy, and you know what cook is; she don't like to be put out. I know what I should do if I was you."

"What?" said Waller, rather surlily.

"Go into the kitchen as soon as you have done tea, and tell her that you never had anything nicer than those cakes; and she will be so pleased that she won't say another word about the pie."

"Oh, very well," said Waller, who was making another plan.

"That's a good boy. Between you and me. Master Waller, Martha's as nice as nice, but she's just as proud and stuck up about her cooking as her brother is about being constable. Ring when you have done, please."

Waller nodded, and lifted up the dish-cover, which the girl took from his hand, and then, nodding pleasantly, hurried out of the room.