Chapter 70
"Then it was not he, after all!" cried Mr. Dare, interested in the tale.
"Of a surety it was not he. I tell thee, friend, he was seated quietly at his studies. 'Hast thee lent thy cloak to a friend to-night?' I asked him. He looked surprised, and said he had not. But, to be convinced, I requested to see his cloak, and he took me outside the door, and there was the cloak hanging up in the pa.s.sage, his cap beside it. That is why I did not approve of thy deductions, friend Anthony Dare, in a.s.suming that the cloak, which the man had on who changed the cheque, must be William Halliburton's," concluded Mr. Lynn.
"You say the man looked like William when you were close to him?"
inquired Mr. Ashley, who thought the whole affair very curious, and now broke silence for the first time.
"Very much like him," answered Samuel Lynn. "But the resemblance may have been only in the cloak and cap. The face was not discernible; by accident or design, it was concealed. I think there need not be better negative proof that it was not William who changed the cheque."
Mr. Ashley smiled. "Without this evidence of Mr. Lynn's I could have told you it was waste of time to cast suspicion on William Halliburton to me," said he, addressing the sergeant and Mr. Dare. "Were you to come here and accuse myself, it would make just as much impression upon me.
Wait an instant, gentlemen."
He went to the door, opened it, and called William. The latter came in, erect, courteous, n.o.ble--never suspecting the sergeant's business there could have anything to do with him.
"William," began his master, "who is it that wears a similar cloak to yours, in the town?"
"I am unable to say, sir," was William's ready reply. "Until last night," and he turned to Samuel Lynn with a smile, "I should have said there was not another like it. I suppose now there must be one."
"If there is one, there may be more," remarked Mr. Ashley. "The fact is, William, the cheque has been traced. It was changed at White's, the butcher; and the person changing it wore a cloak, it seems, very much like yours."
"Indeed!" cried William, with animation. "Well, sir, of course there may be many such cloaks in the town. All I can say is, I have not seen them."
"There can't be many," spoke up the sergeant, "if it be the old-fas.h.i.+oned sort of thing described to me."
William looked the sergeant full in the face with his open countenance, his honest eyes. No guilt there. "Would you like to see my cloak?" he asked. "It may be a guide, if you think the one worn resembled it."
The sergeant nodded. "I was going to ask you to bring it in, if it was here."
William brought it in. "It is one of the bygones," said he laughing. "I have some thoughts of forwarding it to the British Museum,
He threw the cloak over his shoulders, and exhibited himself off, as he had done once before in that counting-house for the benefit of Samuel Lynn. "I think the British Museum will get it," he continued, in the same joking spirit. "Not until winter's over, though. It is a good friend on a cold night."
Sergeant Delves' eyes were riveted on the cloak. "Where have I seen that cloak?" he mused, in a dreamy tone. "Lately, too!"
"You may have seen me in it," said William.
The sergeant shook his head. He lifted one hand to his temples, and proceeded to rub them gently, as if the process would a.s.sist his memory, never once relaxing his gaze.
"Did White say the changer of the cheque was a tall man?" asked Mr.
Ashley.
"Yes," said Mr. Dare. "Whether he meant as tall as William Halliburton, I cannot say. There are not--why, I should think there are not a hundred men in the town who come up to that height," he added, looking at William.
"Yourself one of them," said William, turning to him with a smile.
Mr. Dare shook his head, a regret for his past youth crossing his heart.
"Ay, once. I am beginning to grow downward now."
Mr. Ashley was buried in reflection. There was a curious sound of mystery about the tale altogether, to his ears. That there were many thieves in Helstonleigh, he did not doubt--people who would appropriate a cheque, or anything else that came in their way; but why the same person--if it was the same--should pace the cold field at night, watching Samuel Lynn's house, was inexplicable. "It may not be the same," he observed aloud. "Shall you watch for the man again?" he asked of Mr. Lynn.
"I shall not give myself much trouble over it now," was the reply.
"While I was concerned to ascertain William's truthfulness----"
"I scarcely think you need have doubted it, Mr. Lynn," interrupted William.
"True. I have never doubted thee yet. But it appeared to be thy word against the sight of my own eyes. The master will understand----"
A most extraordinary interruption came from Sergeant Delves. He threw up his head with a start, and gave vent to a shrill, prolonged whistle. "It looks dark!" cried he.
"What didst thee say, friend Delves?"
"I beg pardon, gentlemen," answered the sergeant. "I was not speaking to any of you; I was following up the bent of mine own thoughts. It suddenly flashed into my mind who it is that I have seen in one of these cloaks."
"And who is it?" asked Mr. Dare.
"You must excuse me, sir, if I keep that to myself," was the answer.
"As tall a man as William Halliburton?"
The sergeant ran his eyes up and down William's figure. "A shade taller, I should say, if anything."
"And it struck me that the man who made off across the field was a shade taller," observed Samuel Lynn.
"Well, I can't make sense of it," resumed Mr. Dare, breaking a pause.
"Let us allow, if you like, that there are fifty such cloaks in the town. Unless one, wearing such, had access to Mr. Ashley's counting-house, to this very room that we are now in, how does the fact of there being others remove the suspicion from William Halliburton?"
Mr. Dare had not intended wilfully to cause him pain. He had forgotten for the moment that William was a stranger to the doubt raised touching himself. Amidst the deep silence that ensued, William looked from one to the other.
"Who suspects me?" he asked, surprise the only emotion in his tone.
Sergeant Delves tapped him significantly on the shoulder. "Never you trouble yourself, young sir. If what has come into my mind be right, it isn't _you_ who are guilty."
When he and Mr. Dare went out, Mr. Ashley followed them to the outer gate. As they stood there talking, Frank Halliburton pa.s.sed. "Look here," thought the sergeant to himself, "there's not much doubt as to the black sheep--I see that: but it's as well, to be on the sure side.
Young man," cried he aloud to Frank, in the authoritative, patronizing manner which Sergeant Delves was fond of a.s.suming when he could, "what time did your brother William get home last Sat.u.r.day night? I suppose you know, if you were at home yourself."
Frank looked at him rather haughtily. "_I_ know," he replied. "I have yet to learn why you need know."
"Tell him, Frank," said Mr. Ashley, with a smile.
"It was a little after ten," said Frank.
"Did he go out again?" asked the sergeant.
"Out again at that time!" cried Frank. "No: he did not go out again. We sat talking together ever so long, and then went up to bed."
"Ah!" rejoined the sergeant. It was all he answered. And he wished Mr.
Ashley good day, and departed with Mr. Dare.