“The mortal part,” corrected the minister, cutting another slice.
“Aye, the immortal is a-trippin’ it i’ the New Jeroosalem: but the mortal was very lamentably took wi’ a fit, three days back—the same day, young man, as thou earnest wi’ thy bloody threats.”
“A fit?”
“Aye, sir, an’ verily—such a fit as thou thysel’ witness’d. ’Twas the third attack—an’ he cried, ‘Oh!’ he did, an’ ‘Ah!’—just like that. ‘Oh!’ an’ then ‘Ah!’ Such were his last dyin’ speech. ‘Dear Master,’ says I, ‘there’s no call to die so hard:’ but might so well ha’ whistled, for he was dead as nails. A beautiful corpse, sirs, dang my buttons!”
“Show him to us.”
“Willingly, young man.” He led the way to the very room where Master Tingcomb and I had held our interview. As before, six candles were burning there: but the table was push’d into a corner, and now their light fell on a long black coffin, resting on trestles in the centre of the room. The coffin was clos’d, and studded with silver nails; on the lid was a silver plate bearing these words written—“Hannibal Tingcomb, MDCXLIII,” with a text of Scripture below.
“Why have you nail’d him down?” I asked.
“Now where be thy bowels, young man, to talk so unfeelin’? An’ where be thy experience, not to know the ways o’ thy blessed dead in summer time?”
“When do you bury him?”
“Tomorrow forenoon. The spot is two mile from here.” He blinked at me, and hesitated for a minute. “Is it your purpose, sirs, to attend?”
“Be sure of that,” I said grimly. “So have beds ready tonight for all our company.”
“All thy—! Dear sir, consider: where are beds to be found? Sure, thy mariners can pass the night aboard their own ship?”
“So then,” thought I, “you have been on the lookout;” but Delia replied for me—
“I am Delia Killigrew, and mistress of this house. You will prepare the beds as you are told.” Whereupon what does that decrepit old sinner but drop upon his knees?
“Mistress Delia! O goodly feast for this one poor eye! Oh, that Master Tingcomb had seen this day!”
I declare the tears were running down his nose; but Delia march’d out, cutting short his hypocrisy.
In the passage she whisper’d—
“Villainy, Jack!”
“Hush!” I answered, “and listen: Master Tingcomb is no more in that coffin than I.”
“Then where is he?”
“That is just what we are to discover.” As I said this a light broke on me. “By the Lord,” I cried, “ ’tis the very same!”
Delia open’d her eyes wide.
“Wait,” I said: “I begin to touch ground.”
We returned to the great hall. The straight-hair’d man was still eating, and opposite sat Billy, that had not budg’d, but now beckoning to me, very mysterious, whisper’d in a voice that made the plates rattle—
“That’s—a damned—rogue!”
’Twas discomposing, but the truth. In fact, I had just solv’d a puzzle. This holy-speaking minister was no other than the groom I had seen at Bodmin Fair holding Master Tingcomb’s horses.
By this, the sun was down, and Delia soon made an excuse to withdraw to her own room. Nor was it long before the rest followed her example. I found our chambers prepared, near together, in a wing of the house at some distance from the hall. Delia’s was next to mine, as I made sure by knocking at her door: and on the other side of me slept Billy with two of his crew. My own bed was in a great room sparely furnish’d; and the linen indifferent white. There was a plenty of clean straw, though, on the floor, had I intended to sleep—which I did not.
Instead, having blown out my light, I sat on the bed’s edge, listening to the big clock over the hall as it chim’d the quarters, and waiting till the fellows below should be at their ease. That Master Tingcomb rested under the coffin lid, I did not believe, in spite of the terrifying fit that I could vouch for. But this, if driven to it, we could discover at the grave. The main business was to catch him; and to this end I meant to patrol the buildings, and especially watch the entrance, on the likely chance of his creeping back to the house (if not already inside), to confer with his fellow-rascals.
As eleven o’clock sounded, therefore, I tapp’d on Billy’s wall; and finding that Matt Soames was keeping watch (as we had agreed upon), slipp’d off my boots. Our rooms were on the first floor, over a straw yard; and the distance to the ground an easy drop for a man. But wishing to be silent as possible, I knotted two blankets together, and strapping the end round the window mullion, swung myself down by one hand, holding my boots in the other.
I dropp’d very lightly, and look’d about. There was a faint moon up and glimmering on the straw; but under the house was deep shadow, and along this I crept. The straw yard led into the court before the stables, and so into the main court. All this way I heard no sound, nor spied so much as a speck of light in any window. The house door was clos’d, and the bar fastened on the great gate across the yard. I turn’d the corner to explore the third side of the house.
Here was a group of outbuildings jutting out, and between them and the high outer wall a narrow alley. ’Twas with difficulty I groped my way here, for the passage was dark as pitch, and rendered the straiter by a line of ragged laurels planted under the house; so that at every other step I would stumble, and run my head into a bush.
I had done this for the eighth time, and was cursing under my breath, when on a sudden I heard a stealthy footfall coming down the alley behind me.
“Master Tingcomb, for
