A Final Reckoning

uire asked the schoolmaster, when he happened to meet him in

in getting Penfold the mill wright to take him. He wanted fifty pounds premium, and she could only afford to pay twenty,

I ever shall. Have yo

er said. "He believes that someone did it who had a gru

grudge against him?

th would never have been known had it not been, as I heard, that your daughter happened to see the stone thrown. Since that time there has been bad blood between the boys. I do not for a moment say that Thorne poisoned your dog. Still, the boys are near enough of a size for one to be mistaken for the other in the dark; and Thorne knew that Reuben had been bitten by the dog, for Reuben spoke to

, and passed his hands thro

take after him. That ale house of his is the resort of all the idle fellows about. I have strong reason to believe he is in alliance with the poachers. The firs

he mill wright at Lewes Mrs. Whitne

the name, which the squire

ou mention to Mrs. Whitney that you spoke

sir," the sch

t he had changed his mind, and that he would take Reuben as his apprentice for twenty pounds; adding, to her surprise, that he should give him hal

ed a little shop, as before, her receipts were extremely small, and she had already begun to fear that she should be obliged to make another move, Lewes being too well supplied with shops fo

uld not travel so far; for it was not often that anyone from the village went over to the town. In this, ho

new boy; but I hear that he had to leave Tipping, where he wa

hear it?" Mr.

d Thorne, who belongs to the village, and

efore I saw the boy and, from what I hear, I believe he was wrongfully accused. Just tell Jenkins that; and say th

after, that the story of the killing o

f an evening, under the advice of his former master; who came over with his wife, three or four times each year, to spend a day with Mrs. Whitney. Re

age standing in front of one of the shops, he heard his name pronounced, and the colour flushed to his cheek as, l

me to Lewes. I wanted to tell you that I am sure you did not kill Wolf. I know you wouldn't have done it. Besides, yo

not kill the dog. I should never have thought of

pa has told me, since, that he did not think so,

h, that he should think me capable of such a thing. I felt angry at the time, but I have not felt angry since I have thou

nd Reuben went on with a light heart, just as Mrs. E

Kate?" she asked, as she to

e was passing, so I called him to tell him

y. "You know my opinion on the subject. I have told you before that it is one I do not care to have discussed, and that I consider it very improper for a girl, of your

up certain opinions they were not to be shaken; and that her father himself always avoided argument, on points on which he differed from her. Talking alone with his daughter the squire had, in answer to her sturdy assertion of Reuben's innocence, owned to her that h

d not have been pleased, had she known that her daughter had seldom met the schoolmaster without inquiring if he had heard how Reuben was getting on. She had even asked Mr. Shrewsbury to as

new that no one else would be there. The Thornes no longer occupied the little public house. Tom Thorne had, a year before, been captured with two other poachers in the squire's woods, and had had six months' hard labour; and his father had at once been ejected from his house, and had

en Reuben had done his wo

s it is not his night for a class, I am pretty sure not to find anyone there. I told him,

houses he worked for in town, so as to get his connection back again. I expect, every time I see him, to hear that he has made up his mind to go. He would have done it, two years back; but his wife and the two little on

father would be proud of you, if he could see you; and I am sure that, when you take off that workman's suit and put on your Sunday clothes, you look as well as if the mill had never

ng that you regard me as a sort of wonder. I hope I shall make my way some day, and the fact that I have had a better education than most young fello

t an incorrect one; for with his intelligent face, and quiet self-assured bearing, he look

horse impatiently pawing the ground; the sound being followed by a savage oath, to the animal, to stand quiet. Reuben walked on a few steps, and then paused. The lane, as he knew, only led to some fields a short distance away. What cou

lf. "Still, it is certainly curious and, at an

mined to follow the matter up. He walked quietly down the lane. After going about a hundred yards, he saw something dark in the road and, approaching it very cau

e so early, and to have to wait a

ht have been noticed, if we had been driving about the roads after

precious cold here. Hand me that flask again. I am blest

where the cart had stopped, and the men had evidently got over it, to obtain the shelter of the hedge from the wind. Reuben felt the g

the others to

lock. We passed them about six miles on t

doubt about this here

ouse, but there's no end of silver plate, and their watches, and plenty of sparklers. I h

e house well

tler's pantry and, as we are going to get in by the kitchen window, we are safe to be able to clear that out without being heard. I shall go

h him, were going to commit a burglary at the squire's. He was hesitating whether to make off at once, to warn the squire of what was i

ave we

he conversation, two men had come quietly up the lane, walking on the grass as he had done; and their footsteps had been unheard by him, for the horse continued, at times, impatiently to paw the grou

itch, his hands tightly bound to his sides, and a handkerchief stuffed i

an oath. "Besides, it's not only the swag, but the grudge I owe the squire. If I

ch Reuben recognized as that of his old enemy, said. "

y Bay, but I ain't going to run the chance of being scragged. But let's move a bit away from here, while we settle it. You hit him p

he conversation ceased. They did not return to him but remained at some distance off, and Reuben thought that he heard the footsteps of one of them going down the lane. He could feel, by a war

horse was started. They drove at a quick pace, and Reuben wondered why they were taking him away with them. His head ached terribly, and he suffered much from the tightness o

were unbound; and the men, leaping up, drove away at full speed. The spot where he had been left was very dark, for trees ov

had come. It was, he felt sure, no use shouting; for they would have been certain to have selected some lonely spot to set him down, a

wn upon a heap of stones and waited patiently for morning. He had no doubt that the burglary had been a successful one, and he bitterly regretted his neglect to keep a watch down the lan

fore, he must have set out in the trap about half-past one. He now started to walk along the road, hoping that he should soon meet some labourer going to work. Stoppin

r step. Half an hour later he met a ploug

oad to Lewes?"

ng about the road to Lewes. This bee the road to Hastings, if

e anywhere about h

a mile o

, the direction he should take to get to the main road leading to Lewes; which was, as he expected, some twenty miles away. He found tha

st often by the way, and had made but slow progress. When within a few doors of his mother

ou in the k

hat for?" Reu

e of Squire Ellison, of Tip

n lau

is time. I have no more to do

are innocent you have got to prove it; that ain't no bu

his wrists. Reuben flushed up. Hitherto he had scarcely taken the matter seriously, but

said angrily. "I will

dly. "You are younger than I am, and maybe c

tight hold of his collar. A little crowd gathered speedily round, for such a sight was unusual in Lewes; and Reuben felt than

the better for you. I am sorry to see you here, for I knew your father, and I have a

arrested in the public streets, marched handcuffed through the town upon a most m

" the constable said testily; "you w

you what's happened, and you will

you will; but mind, do

of his adventures fr

nished, "isn't that enough

y looks a likely one; and if it weren't for two or three matters which I heard of, from the constable who came over from Tip

magistrate at once? There's C

e anyone would let you out, only on the strength of the story you hav

mother?" Reu

id, "I will send her do

ed, and she was on the point of starting to inquire about it when the message arrived. She was

e. The idea of charging anyone who is known as a respectable young man with such a thing as

at work now. Before, I only suspected who had done it; but I am sure now. However, whatever evidence they may have got, we know it isn't true. I

is without any faul

mother, so we will bo