Lawyer Quince Read online

later two farmlabourers and a boy lumbered off in different directions in search of themissing girl, with instructions that she was to go straight to the WhiteSwan to meet the coach. The farmer himself walked down to the inn,turning over in his mind a heated lecture composed for the occasion, butthe coach came and, after a cheerful bustle and the consumption of sundrymugs of beer, sped on its way again.

  He returned home in silent consternation, seeking in vain for asatisfactory explanation of the mystery. For a robust young woman todisappear in broad day-light and leave no trace behind her wasextraordinary. Then a sudden sinking sensation in the region of thewaistcoat and an idea occurred simultaneously.

  He walked down to the village again, the idea growing steadily all theway. Lawyer Quince was hard at work, as usual, as he passed. He went bythe window three times and gazed wistfully at the cottage. Coming to theconclusion at last that two heads were better than one in such abusiness, he walked on to the mill and sought Mr. Hogg.

  "That's what it is," said the miller, as he breathed his suspicions."I thought all along Lawyer Quince would have the laugh of you. He'swonderful deep. Now, let's go to work cautious like. Try and look as ifnothing had happened."

  "I thought all along Lawyer Quince would have the laugh ofyou."]

  Mr. Rose tried.

  "Try agin," said the miller, with some severity. "Get the red out o'your face and let your eyes go back and don't look as though you're goingto bite somebody."

  Mr. Rose swallowed an angry retort, and with an attempt at careless easesauntered up the road with the miller to the shoemaker's. Lawyer Quincewas still busy, and looked up inquiringly as they passed before him.

  "I s'pose," said the diplomatic Mr. Hogg, who was well acquainted withhis neighbour's tidy and methodical habits--"I s'pose you couldn't lendme your barrow for half an hour? The wheel's off mine."

  Mr. Quince hesitated, and then favoured him with a glance intended toremind him of his scurvy behaviour three days before.

  "You can have it," he said at last, rising.

  Mr. Hogg pinched his friend in his excitement, and both watched Mr.Quince with bated breath as he took long, slow strides toward thetool-shed. He tried the door and then went into the house, and evenbefore his reappearance both gentlemen knew only too well what was aboutto happen. Red was all too poor a word to apply to Mr. Rose'scountenance as the shoemaker came toward them, feeling in his waist-coatpocket with hooked fingers and thumb, while Mr. Hogg's expressivefeatures were twisted into an appearance of rosy appreciation.

  "Did you want the barrow very particular?" inquired the shoemaker, in aregretful voice.

  "Very particular," said Mr. Hogg.

  Mr. Quince went through the performance of feeling in all his pockets,and then stood meditatively rubbing his chin.

  "The door's locked," he said, slowly, "and what I've done with that therekey----"

  "You open that door," vociferated Mr. Rose, "else I'll break it in.You've got my daughter in that shed and I'm going to have her out."

  "Your daughter?" said Mr. Quince, with an air of faint surprise. "Whatshould she be doing in my shed?"

  "You let her out," stormed Mr. Rose, trying to push past him.

  "Don't trespass on my premises," said Lawyer Quince, interposing hislong, gaunt frame. "If you want that door opened you'll have to waittill my boy Ned comes home. I expect he knows where to find the key."

  Mr. Rose's hands fell limply by his side and his tongue, turning prudish,refused its office. He turned and stared at Mr. Hogg in silentconsternation.

  "Never known him to be beaten yet," said that admiring weather-cock.

  "Ned's been away three days," said the shoemaker, "but I expect him homesoon."

  Mr. Rose made a strange noise in his throat and then, accepting hisdefeat, set off at a rapid pace in the direction of home. In amarvellously short space of time, considering his age and figure, he wasseen returning with Ned Quince, flushed and dishevelled, walking by hisside.

  "Here he is," said the farmer. "Now where's that key?"

  Lawyer Quince took his son by the arm and led him into the house, fromwhence they almost immediately emerged with Ned waving the key.

  "I thought it wasn't far," said the sapient Mr. Hogg.

  Ned put the key in the lock and flinging the door open revealed CeliaRose, blinking and confused in the sudden sunshine. She drew back as shesaw her father and began to cry with considerable fervour.

  "How did you get in that shed, miss?" demanded her parent, stamping.

  "'How did you get in that shed?' demanded her parent."]

  Miss Rose trembled.

  "I--I went there," she sobbed. "I didn't want to go away."

  "Well, you'd better stay there," shouted the over-wrought Mr. Rose."I've done with you. A girl that 'ud turn against her own father I--I--"

  He drove his right fist into his left palm and stamped out into the road.Lawyer Quince and Mr. Hogg, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

  "The laugh's agin you, farmer," said the latter gentleman, taking hisarm.

  Mr. Rose shook him off.

  "Better make the best of it," continued the peace-maker.

  "She's a girl to be proud of," said Lawyer Quince, keeping pace with thefarmer on the other side. "She's got a head that's worth yours and mineput together, with Hogg's thrown in as a little makeweight."

  "And here's the White Swan," said Mr. Hogg, who had a hazy idea of acompliment, "and all of us as dry as a bone. Why not all go in and havea glass to shut folks' mouths?"

  "And cry quits," said the shoemaker.

  "And let bygones be bygones," said Mr. Hogg, taking the farmer's armagain.

  Mr. Rose stopped and shook his head obstinately, and then, under theskilful pilotage of Mr. Hogg, was steered in the direction of thehospitable doors of the White Swan. He made a last bid for liberty onthe step and then disappeared inside. Lawyer Quince brought up the rear.