Mildred Arkell, (Vol 3 of 3)

ture on his son Edwin for some delinquency, when he was told that Lawyer Fauntleroy waited in his st

ilberforce, that after all the doubt and discredit cast upon the affair, Robert Carr was disc

. Wilberforce. "I sa

t, will you?" said he, putting his

wards that I had occasion to make an entry in the register,

-hundred pound note," cried Mr. Fauntleroy. "I daresay you'll not object,

be the best testimony,"

lawyer; "but that entry has b

repeated Mr

. It is no

nsense!" crie

me back and said it was not there. Kenneth gave him a rowing for carelessness, and went himself. He came back and said it was not there. Then I thought it was time to go; a

ible tale," exclai

eered into the rector's face. "There has bee

lly demonstrating of what birch is made in the college schoolroom. "Devilry has been

mplete as though it had never been in any hands but honest ones. But now," added the lawyer, "there's another

it from Trav

ravice

ly school. Mr. Prattleton generally attends these calls for me, but this poor man had expressed a wish that I myself should go to him. It was between eight and nine o'clock, and T

?" interrupted

ing that the marriage had taken place at St. James the Less, the morning he and Miss Hughes left Westerbury, and it would be found duly entered in the register. The news appeared to m

ou give him

of mischief, probably by the Carrs of Eckford; and I did not choose that my church, or anything in it, should be made a jest

he

short visit to London, and went out again, somewhere the same day. Tr

in his blunt manner, for the

to mention to anyone what she had said about the marriage, for Mrs. Carr had received a hasty letter from Mr. Fauntleroy

ink he had not

ared she had done mischief, and was most anxious. On the following Sunday, when I was marrying a couple in my church befor

ave not sp

no longer there, it is a most strange thing

wyer, as he departed. "A parish register oug

sturbing that gentleman at his tea. "Hunt, follow me," said he, as he took the key from i

r had walked on. "Register, register, register! my legs is aching

t in a secret place which no one knew of save himself, the clerk, and the Reverend Mr. Prattleton) opened it, and laid the book before him. Mr. Wi

mplete a thing as ever I saw accomplished: and how is it to be proved that it's gone? This comes of their careless habit of not paging their leaves in t

r head, maybe; but don't you be frighted with any such notion, sir. 'Rob the register!' says I to him; 'no, not unless

taken out. Who ha

en with 'em, except yourself or Mr. Prattleton," persisted the old reg

ou that the register has been rifled, and it could not have been done without

g college gents, what comes to play

ss to the register. Some one

two hands on his knees, he stared very fixedly on vacancy. Mr. Wilberfo

wly, "that one of them senior college gents-but that

mber?" questioned

he snatched the key, and tore off with it. Presently, back he comes, saying it was the wrong key and wouldn't undo the door. Mr. George Prattleton had come round then: Mr. Prattleton had told him to ask about the time fixed for a funeral-which, by token, I remember was Dame Furbery's-and he took the key from Mr. Lewis, and hung it up, and railed off at me for trusting it to the college gents. Lewis finding he couldn't

s?" asked Mr.

back and hang it up, like a Christian, but must dash it on to the kitchen floor, where it split the cat's chaney saucer to pieces, and scattered the milk, a-frighting the cat, who had just got her nose in it, a'most into fits, and my missis too.

een early morning," c

alf moonlight and half twilight. I remember wh

and Arkell must have been in t

ge gents? When they ought to be a-bed, they're up; and when they ou

had deemed them safe in bed; and he left the church. It was dusk then. As he was striding along,

. Arkell. I want

Wilberforce, his truthful eye and

e time you were residing in my house, but I find I was deceived. Who gave you l

d, sir," re

another, it is a falsehood; and that you know. I say that yo

did," he replied with

, by half-past six, perhaps earlier; you must have gone down by moonlight--Ah, I see," added the master, in an

ood. I don't deny that I w

tole out of my house to get there

berforce was not one to be trifled with. He was a perfectly ingenuous boy, both in manner and character, and Mr. Wilberforce had

stopped out all night, instead of sneakin

ut it was not my fa

ou, and who k

to press me-for indeed I cannot tell. I w

ceeded Mr. Wilberforce, when he recovered his astonishment. "What

r. If I might tell the truth,

r," returned the master. "What reaso

hers into trouble. Indeed, sir," he earnestly added, "though I did stop out from you

xperience of the boy, he could believe nothing but good of Harry

id the master, "but don't flatte

dence of the Reverend Mr. Prattleton, and entered it without cere

ute, will you?" cried the mas

ather. But to that suggestion they were conveniently deaf, preferring to take an evening gallop through some of

rattleton," began the master. "The re

echoed Mr. Prattleton

lf. A leaf has bee

ow

protests that nobody has had access to

returned Mr. Prattleton. "How

was wanted for-for-some trial at the next assizes," concluded the master, recollecting that Mr. Fauntleroy had cautioned him s

ntinued Mr. Prattleton. "An e

the book now: and I read

ward thing. Have you

ixed up in that. He says, that last November you and Lewis had some secret between you, about the church. Lewis went down to his house one morning by moonlight, got the key by strata

of the college boys had gone in to practise. That was nothing

hastened from the room, but not before Mr. Wilb

tter with Georg

or by which he had gone out. "With George?"

him to have been when he went into the church with Lew

as a disgraceful and dangerous act. It seems that young Arkell-what a nice lad that is! but he comes of a good stock-went into St. James's one evening to practise, and Lewis, who owed him a grudge, stole after him

he amazed Sir. Wilberforce. "Why the fright

s were up, he went to Hunt's to get the key and let Arkell out. Hunt would not give it him, and Lewis appealed to George. That's what has sent Geor

"I never liked Lewis, but I would not have gi

to my boy, Joe. Joe, in his turn, imparted it to his brother, under a formidable inj

arked Mr. Wilberforce, his countenanc

him punished in the face of the school; but as no harm had come of it, I did not

but it brings us no nearer the affair of the registe

zen of the head boys. One of them, a great tall fellow, stood on his head on a table, his feet tou

ight on the floor. It was Lewis senior. Mr. Wilberforce took a se

ugh

s,

in St. James's Church, and com

ned all the eye

is locked up," added Vaughan, in the confusion of his ideas

fiery red; then Arkell had been locked in! Mr.

you in Wage-

rcise book. I finished mine last night, sir, and forgot it till I went to do my Latin just now. I d

en which of you gentlemen was it who did shut up Arkell?" asked he, gazing round. "Lew

has been peaching at last," quoth he to himse

u meet it, Lewis, whether or not I shall expel you. Equivocate to me now, if you dare. Had it come to my knowledge at the time, you should have been

Arkell had died; and then he

you up in St. James's all the night, and see h

t the thought. "He was not locked in all night," he said, sullenly, by way

at do you

an back to morning school, he was in the college hall. Mr. George Prattleton a

l was in his kitchen, when Lewis came, frightened, and thumping for the key. I

kell in, what did y

t to Hunt

ve it t

g it might be as well to be correct, "I p

orted Mr. Wilberforce. "When did yo

fit into the lock, and I took it back. Hunt said it was the right key, and George Prattleton said it

o come to the bottom of it, and despatched Vaughan to Arkell's house to fetch him. The two

g his hand contemptuously towards Lewis, "lo

wis, and hesitated in his

k out of it in your sleep? Did you get down from a window

ttleton was waiting to speak to the master immediately. Mr. Wilberforce, leaving the study d

in to suggest it. When the boy passed the night in

ould not," spoke the master,

lay his hands upon-and it is the most natural thing he would do, to

r find the key of the safe?"

ay have found its hiding-place. As to a light

ion till it grew into a probability. H

him, "will you speak the t

truth to you, sir," answer

if you had not. It is about that register, you know," ad

is handkerchief and rubbed it over his face: between the handkerchie

ister-book in St. James's, the

I did not," he

light in

in your clothes, in defiance of the risk you run,"

he boys keep matches about them except those who"-smoke, was the

ith yourself all the ti

ile, and then I lay down on the s

point: how di

, except that I found the door open

reaming, and fancied

ke. The door was op

st tale you hav

tell, sir. I did

he present," said Mr.

asked Mr. Prattleto

rch. Allowing it to be as he says-and I have always found him so strictly truthful-that he found

ogether," said the Rev. Mr. Prattleto

eared at the opposite door, propelling fort

he note. Lewis flung the tongs back in their place. "My ha

a gas-lamp, and read it as well as he could fo

s hot has the Inphernal Regeons, a deal to hot for you. And my brother don't care a phether for the oisting he is to get, for he'll serve you worce

ughing at the spelling. But it was a very fair specim