The Master of the Ceremonies Part 104

She crept to the door, pa.s.sed out and listened, closing it after her that the noise might not awaken May, to whom sleep meant life.

Angry voices rose, and then there were the sounds of blows struck apparently with a cane. Then there was a scuffling noise, and the front door was driven back.

"Leave the house, scoundrel! leave my house, insolent dog!" came up sharp and clear in her father's voice, quivering with anger, and the scuffle was renewed.

"You pay me my wages; you pay me what you owe me, or I don't stir a step."

The voice that uttered these last words was thick and husky, and full of menace. It was a familiar voice, though, that Claire recognised, and her cheeks burned with shame as she felt that pa.s.sers-by, perhaps Richard Linnell, would hear the degrading words that were uttered.

Her sister lying there sick, and this pitiful disturbance that was increasing in loudness, and must be heard by any one who happened to be upon the Parade!

She hurried down to find that the scuffling sounds had been renewed, and as she reached the pa.s.sage it was to find that her father was trying to drag Isaac to the door, and force him into the road, where quite a little crowd was collecting.

"Leave this house, sir, directly."

"I shan't for you," cried Isaac, resisting stoutly. "I want my wages.

I want my box."

"Leave this house, you drunken insolent scoundrel!"

"Father! for pity's sake," cried Claire, trying to interfere.

"No, no; stand back, my child," cried the old man angrily. "He has come back again to-night tipsy. He has insulted me once more, and he shall not stay here--I can turn him out, and I will."

"Not you, and I shan't go," hiccupped Isaac, seizing the plinth at the bottom of the bal.u.s.ters and holding on. "I don't go from here 'thout my money--every penny of it, so now, old Denville."

"Pray, pray let me pa.s.s, father, and shut the door," cried Claire.

"No, my dear," said the old man, whose blood was now up. "He shall leave this house at once."

"No, I shan't leave neither without my box."

The struggle went on, and the lamp would have been knocked off the bracket but for Claire's hand. The contending parties swayed here and there, but it was evident that the footman was far the stronger, while Denville's forces were failing moment by moment.

"Can I be of any a.s.sistance, Mr Denville?" said a voice that thrilled Claire through and through, but which made her shrink back up a few stairs to avoid being seen.

"Who's that?--Mr Linnell? Yes," panted Denville. "My servant, sir--my lacquey. This is the fourth time he has come back from being absent without leave, intoxicated, sir. Tipsy. Not fit to come into a gentleman's presence."

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Isaac--"Gentleman's presence! I don't call you a gentleman. Why, you're all that's mean and shabby and poor. Just you pay me my wages in arrears."

"Come to-morrow, scoundrel," said Denville loftily. "Mr Linnell, if you would kindly send one of the people outside for a constable. He will find one by the a.s.sembly-Room. Let him say that the man is wanted at Mr Denville's--at the Master of the Ceremonies', and he will come on directly."

Linnell glanced up at where Claire was turning back in shame and distress of mind, little thinking that in a few minutes she would be bravely standing at her father's side.

"Fetch a constable!" cried Isaac defiantly. "Do, if you dare. What do I care for a constable?"

"Why don't you pay the man his wages?" said a voice at the door.

"Ah, to be sure," cried Isaac, with a tipsy laugh. "Why don't you pay the man his wages? 'Cause you can't. Beggarly old upstart."

"Silence, you scoundrel!" cried Linnell fiercely, "or I'll drag you out and throw you over the cliff for your insolence."

"Do it--do it!" cried Isaac fiercely. "Who's afraid?"

"Silence, dog!" cried Denville, catching up his cane.

"Don't strike him, Mr Denville," said Linnell. "Some one there fetch a constable. Five s.h.i.+llings for the first man who brings one here."

"Don't you, m'lads," cried Isaac. "He daren't send for a constable. I tell you he daren't--not for me. Send for one for himself."

Claire trembled and shuddered at those words; and, had it been possible, she would have ended the scene at any cost, but she was helpless.

For a moment Linnell had thought of seizing and dragging out the tipsy servant; but on second consideration he felt that it might just as well be done by some one in authority, so, hurrying out, he despatched one of the crowd in another direction to that taken by the two or three who had hurried off on the promise of a reward, and then turned back to see if he could be of any further service.

"Cons'able for me!" said Isaac, with tipsy gravity. "I like that. I like that--much. Let him come. Make him pay me _my_ wages. Then I'll go. Not before, if all the old Masters o' Ceremonies in England wanted me to go."

"The insolent scoundrel!" panted Denville; "after all I've done for him since he came to me a boy."

"Done for me! Ha-ha-ha!" laughed Isaac; "kept me on short commons, and didn't pay my wages. Now, then, are you going to pay my money?"

"Here he is." "Here's one," rose in chorus, and way was made for the fussy-looking individual who occupied the post of chief constable of Saltinville.

"Now, then, what's this?" he said.

"Tipsy servant," chorussed half--a--dozen voices. "Drunk."

"My servant, Mr Cordy," said Denville importantly. "He has misconducted himself again and again. You see the condition he is in."

"Yes, I see," said the constable. "Come along."

"Wait till he pays my wages," hiccupped Isaac.

"You can talk about that another time," said the constable importantly.

"Come along."

He seized the footman, gave him a shake which wrenched his fingers from their hold upon the bottom of the bal.u.s.ters, and with another shake jerked him upon his feet.

But Isaac was not going to be dragged off like that without making a scene, and he shouted out:

"Stop!"

"Well, what is it?" said the constable.

"Does he give me into custody, cons'ble?"

"Yes. Come along."

"Then I give him into custody--do you hear?--custody--for murder. I won't go alone."