Quicksilver Part 44

He hastily drew up his sleeve, and displayed a ruddy circle on his white skin, which bore pretty strong witness to the truth of his words.

"Then, if you were not to blame, why should you shrink from coming to papa?"

"'Cause he mightn't believe me. Mr Sibery never would, neither,"

muttered Dexter.

"Tell the truth and papa will be sure to believe you," cried Helen indignantly.

"Think he would!" said Dexter.

"I am sure of it, sir."

"All right then," cried the boy quickly. "I'll come. Oh, I say!"

"What is the matter?"

"Look! Here he comes!"

He pointed quickly in the direction of the town, and, wresting himself from Helen's grasp, set off at a sharp run.

But he had not gone a dozen yards before he turned and saw Helen gazing after him.

He stopped directly, and came slowly and reluctantly back.

"Did you call me!" he said sheepishly.

"No, Dexter; I think it must have been your conscience spoke and upbraided you for being such a coward."

"Yes, it was cowardly, wasn't it?" cried the boy. "I didn't mean to run away, but somehow I did. I say, will he hit me!"

"No, Dexter."

"Will he be very cross with me?"

"I am afraid he will, Dexter; but you must submit bravely, and speak the simple truth."

"Yes, I'm going to," said Dexter, with a sigh; and he glanced behind him at the pleasant stretch of meadows, and far away down among the alders and willows, with Bob Dimsted fis.h.i.+ng, and evidently quite free from the care which troubled him.

The doctor strode up, looking very angry.

"So you are there, are you, sir?" he cried austerely. "Do you know of this disgraceful business!"

"Dexter has been telling me," said Helen gravely.

"Humph!" grunted the doctor. "I knew you had come down here, so I thought I would come and tell you of the terrible state of affairs."

"Terrible, papa!"

"Ah! then you don't know. It was not likely he would tell you. Sir James came straight to me, and told me everything. It seems that the two boys were sent down the garden together to play, and that as soon as they were alone, Dexter here began to annoy and tease Edgar."

"Here, just say that again, will you?" cried Dexter sharply.

"I repeat that Dexter here began to annoy and tease Edgar."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Dexter.

"And at last, after the poor boy had tried everything to keep his companion from the line of conduct he had pursued, he resolved to go down and sit by the river, leaving Dexter to amuse himself. But unfortunately the spirit of mischief was so strong in him that this boy took out a dahlia-stick with a sharp point--Sir James showed it to me-- and then, after stabbing at him for some time, began to use his fists, and beat Edgar in the most cruel way."

"Oh, my!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Dexter; and then, giving his right foot a stamp, "Well, of all the--Oh, my! what a whopper!"

The low slangy expression was brought out with such an air of indignant protest that Helen was unable to keep her countenance, and she looked away, while the doctor, who was quite as much impressed, frowned more severely to hide the mirth aroused by the boy's e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns, and turned to him sharply--

"What do you mean by that, sir!" he cried.

"Mean?" cried Dexter indignantly, and without a shade of fear in his frank bold eyes; "why there isn't a bit of it true. He didn't like me because I came from over yonder, and he wouldn't speak to me. Then he kept on hitting me, and I wouldn't hit him back, because I thought it would make her cross; but, last of all, he hurt me so that I forgot all about everything, and then we did fight, and I whipped--and that's all."

"Oh, that's all, is it, sir!" said the doctor, who was angry and yet amused.

"Yes, that's all," said Dexter; "only I've got a bite on my arm, and one on my neck, and one on my shoulder. They didn't bleed, though, only pinched and hurt. I only hit him one good un, and that was on the nose, and it made it bleed."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the doctor. "Now, look here, Dexter, is every word of that true!"

"Yes, sir, every bit," cried the boy eagerly. "You will see if it ain't."

The doctor's face wrinkled a little more, as to conceal a smile he turned to his daughter--

"Now," he said, "do you think this is true?"

"I feel sure it is," said Helen. "I am convinced that Dexter would not tell either of us a falsehood."

"There!" cried the boy, smiling triumphantly, as he crept to Helen's side and laid his hand in hers. "Hear that? Of course I wouldn't. I wanted to be all right, but--I say, does my head bleed there?"

He took off his cap, and held down his head, while Helen looked at the spot he pointed out, and shuddered slightly.

"That's where he stuck his nails into my head, just like a cat. It did hurt ever so, but I soon forgot it."

"Let's go home," said the doctor gravely. "It is unfortunate, but of course Dexter could not submit to be trampled upon by any boy."

"I say, you do believe me, don't you!" said Dexter quickly.

"Yes, my boy. I believe you on your honour."

"On my honour," said Dexter quickly.

"That will do," said the doctor. "It is unfortunate, but unavoidable.

Let us go home to lunch."

"And you will not send me back to the--you know!"