The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 266: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

260 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDIS YOUNG CAPTAIN. SNe c ccc c cnc c ccc EET EEEEEEEEEEEEEe surprised than he did when the detective entered in such a good-tempered off-handed manner. Tom Ford, for a moment or two, could scarcely refrain from downright merriment, for the old master at Bromley turned so pale and red, and red and pale by turns, that at last he fairly looked blue. He turned first towards one and then towards the other, knowing not what to think or how to act. Gale looked the old man firmly in the face, and the officer’s gaze was so firm that old Jonathan quailed before him. ‘Don’t you know me ?” said Gale. ‘Know you, sir? How should J knéw who or what you are?” said Jonathan, with a well-assumed air of offended dignity, “Oh, you don’t, eh?—then I must explain my- self,” said Gale, with a merry twinkle in his eye. ‘““T dare say we shall be on more intimate terms ere long.” “How do you mean, sir? I cannot understand your inuendos,”’ Turning to Captain Tom Ford, who was smoking very complacently, old Jonathan said, “Do you know this person, or is he an §in- truder ?” ‘““ Know him, of course I do; and so will you shortly.” ‘Oh, he knows me well enough,” said Gale; ' “but he doesn’t want to do so, that’s all. always the way, you know.” Although Jonathan was endeavouring to keep up his courage, he felt as if he could sink to the floor with weakness, ‘Do you read the newspapers, sir?” asked the detective. ‘““Yes ; that is, sometimes I do,” “Did you ever hear of the name of Gale ?’’ : Gale, Gale,” mused Jonathan; “no, I think not,” “ Not Gale, the detective ?” said the officer, “No. Why or how should Z know any person of that profession? What have Z done to require the assistance or services of such a person?” ‘Well, pon my soul, he keeps it up well,” said Gale, to Tom ; “ don’t he?” “ Sir, I demand an explanation !” said Jonathan, stammering, ‘Then you shall have it ; but first answer me a few questions. If you do so honestly, it may be of great service to me and to yourself. Mind, I don’t say and promise that it wil/, but that it may.” Jonathan felt like a man whose time has come at last, He sank into a chair and breathed very hard. Yet, up to the very last, he played his part to perfection, and acted “injured innocence” to a nicety, He did not speak for a moment or two, but watched the officer who, with pencil and pocket- book, was making ready to jot down the old man’s answers, ‘As I have said before,’ Gale began, “ if you answer my questionsin a straightforward manner, it may be of great use both to you and tome. To begin, then, do you know where your wife is?” “T do not.” “Nor Shanks, your former tutor ?” “No, hang him! Why do you bother me with such questions ?” ‘* Because I wish to show you that I mean to act squarely,”’ “Well, then, what of my wife and Shanks ?” ‘They have been in prison for perjury ; but are now out, and are living together as man and wife,” It’s \ ‘No, you don’t mean that!” said Jonathan, jumping from his seat in a towering passion. ‘‘ No, you don’t mean that; she could not be so wicked and brazen !” : “T am telling you the plain truth, Jonathan.” “ Oh, that I had both of them within my power this instant,” saia Jonathan, grinding his teeth ina great rage, and stamping his heel heavily on the ground, ‘‘I would murder them,” said he witha savage oath, ‘Your two daughters ——.”’ “Yes! what of them,” said the old man, trem- bling. “They are still at Bromley Hall, We will not disturb them yet awhile, for we intend to explore the old mansion from top to bottom, shortly.” “Indeed,” said Jonathan, with a glistening eye, ‘and why, pray?” “Tt is filled with mystery,” said the detective, with a knowing wink, ‘and Giles says ——”’ “ What has that old villain to, say about me?” Jonathan snarled. : “ He is not an old villain,” Gale replied, “‘ but, on the contrary, a most respectable old man.” ‘‘Heis not; he is an old. good-for-nothing liar.” ‘‘ Weis not, Jonathan, but yow are, if you persist in saying so. He has rendered me great assistance already, and I. should neyer haye found.out as much about the, ing and outs of Bromley Hall if it had not been for him.” ‘“‘T dare say not, the old scoundrel,” said Jona- than, with an oath. ‘‘I wish I was only down there again for twenty-four hours, I’d soon teach old Giles a different tale.”’ “I dare say you, would,” said.Gale, and in the dark, no doubt.” “Tn the ‘dark,’ what mean you ?”’ “Oh, nothing at present. But to come to real business, Jonathan, tell. me truly, do you know a person. of the name of, Flint,” “Flint! Flint! Flint!” mused the cunning old rogue, as if he had never heard the name before in all his life, , ‘Yes, Flint, an old lawyer, who once had .apart- ments,in Green Court?” , ‘Oh, an, old lawyer,” said Jonathan, looking up with a smile, “yes, oh, yes, now I come to think of it, I do; that is to say, I did know such.a person,” ‘‘ Indeed,” said Gale, with a quiet smile. ‘“ You don’t know where he is nov, of course you don’t?” “No, why should I?” ‘Oh, nothing, but I thought perhaps that you might know, you see.” “ Me, lor bless you, I know nothing of him,” ‘No, I suppose not, for you see this old Flint, wherever he may be hiding, is. accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of his friend and client, old Ford, Captain Tom Ford’s uncle.” _‘ Monstrous!” said the old hypocrite, holding up his hands in mock horror, ‘‘ Monstrous !” ‘You don’t know anything of that foul affair, I. suppose ?” said Tom, for.the firs! time speaking. ‘“Me, lor bless the handsome youth! I know no more about it than the child unborn,” said Jonathan. ‘People may differ about that,” said Gale; “now I, for one, think you know a great deal regarding old Ford’s murder, and not only that, but the murder in Green Court, also, and many other villanies which have not yet seen the light in Bromley Hall.” Jonathan shivered, but still he maintained a bold front as Gale went on. “It is nonsense of you to say that you do not know anything of this Flint, for you do; from infor- mation received Iam certain that you do know; and, more than that, ‘ Doctor’ Warner is mixed up $l LD eee eComichbooksseoin 6 —ES ae