The Vast Abyss Part 37

"Uncle is going to have a big one soon."

"Oh, is he! What's that door for?"

"To open and look out at the stars."

"And that wheel?"

"To turn the whole of the roof round."

"Turn it then."

Tom obeyed good-humouredly enough, though at heart he resented the hectoring, bullying way adopted by his cousin, and thought how glad he would be when Monday came.

Then the shutter was opened, and the lads got out into the little gallery, where Tom began to point out the beauty of the landscape, and the distant houses and villages to be seen from the commanding height.

"Isn't there a splendid view?" he said.

"Bos.h.!.+ I've been at the top of Saint Paul's. Not a bad place to smoke a cigarette."

He lit one with a great deal of nourish, leaned over the rail, and began puffing little clouds of smoke into the air; but all the same he did not seem to enjoy it, and at the end of a few minutes allowed the little roll of tobacco to go out.

"What time do you dine here?" he said; "seven?"

Tom laughed.

"Two o'clock," he said.

"I said dinner, not lunch, stupid."

"I know what you said," replied Tom, rather sharply, but he changed his tone directly afterward. "We don't have lunch, but early dinner, and tea at six."

"How horrible!" said Sam. "Here, let's go down."

He stepped back into the observatory, looking sharply at everything while Tom secured the shutter, and then they went down into the laboratory, which evidently took the visitor's attention.

"Wouldn't be a bad place with a good Turkey carpet and some easy-chairs.

I should make it my smoking-room if I lived down here. I mean if I was transported down here."

"You don't think much of the place," said Tom good-humouredly; "but you'd like it if you lived here. There's capital fis.h.i.+ng in the river, and the fir-woods swarm with rabbits. Walnut-wood," he added, as his cousin examined the bureau. "Uncle says the bra.s.s-work is very old and curious, nearly two hundred years, he thinks."

"Got a gun?" said Sam, turning sharply away.

"No."

"Can't you get one? We might go and shoot a few rabbits."

"I don't know whether we could even if there was a gun. They are preserved about here like the hares and pheasants."

"There are no hares about here?"

"Oh, yes. I've seen several and made them run."

"But no pheasants?"

"Plenty, and as tame as can be. I saw one the other day in our field."

"Here, let's go for a walk," said Sam, the real boyish nature coming out at last. "I rather like sport, and shall buy a double gun shortly."

They went down; the place was duly locked up, Tom having refrained from making any allusions to the speculum, and the work on hand, feeling as he did that his cousin would look upon it with a contemptuous sneer.

Then the keys were returned to the house, and as the two lads stood in the hall they could hear the invalid talking very loudly to Uncle Richard, evidently upon some subject in which he took interest, and Sam laughed.

"What is it?" said Tom, staring.

"The gov'nor. Hear him? He has forgotten how bad he is. No groans now. Come on."

Tom felt disgusted. He had often noticed the same thing, and formed his own conclusion; but it annoyed him to hear his cousin holding his father's weakness up to ridicule; and he followed Sam out into the garden, and from thence along the sandy lane, thinking what a long time it would be till Monday, when the visitor would return to town.

They had not gone far along the edge of the pine-wood, when all at once a dog leaped out, to begin hunting amongst the furze and brambles, and dart in again.

"What's he after?" cried Sam.

"Rabbits."

As Tom spoke, his cousin struck a match to light a fresh cigarette; and as he lit up, he became aware of the fact that the long slouching figure of Pete Warboys was there by a tree, watching his act with profound interest.

Sam uttered a low laugh full of contempt, as he noticed the lad's eager gaze, and after sending a curl of smoke floating upon the air, he jerked the wax-match from him for a few yards, to fall beneath some old dead furze.

"Have one, joskin?" he said.

Pete Warboys seemed to forget the presence of Tom, and slouched forward, holding out his hand as he uttered a low hoa.r.s.e "Ah!"

Sam re-opened his cigarette case and held it out.

"Take two," he said; and Pete did so without hesitation, while Tom stood frowning. "Know how to smoke them?" said Sam.

"Ah!" growled Pete; and with a sly grin he took a little dirty black clay pipe from his pocket, and held it up before pulling one of the cigarettes to pieces and thrusting it in paper and all, without noticing that he had drawn something out with the pipe, to fall to the ground.

"Want a light?" said Sam; but Pete made no answer, merely pulling a box of matches out of his pocket and putting it back.

"Come along now," said Tom, hesitating though as he spoke.

"Wait a minute. Like sixpence, joskin?"

"Ah!" replied Pete, showing a set of dirty teeth in a grin.

"Catch then," said Sam, contemptuously tossing the coin through the air; but Pete was not active enough to seize it, and it fell amongst the herbage, and had to be searched for. "Got it?"

"Ah!" said Pete, with a grin. "Chuck us another."