“And I’m to give the layer of the drag a job in my Works, am I?” he growled.
He went to his den and wrote to his Member’s wife, that he made it a rule never to give employment save to someone who could prove that he had aptitude. If her son could show this quality, why, then, the path lay open. As he expected, the letter was not answered.
There came no apology from Annual-Tilter.
Something recalled the Inspector’s words that the policeman had been unable to see the notices of PRIVATE in and near Spirr Wood. He went down to see about this. He had not noticed the point before, but it was plain now: all the notices had been pulled down before the Hunt’s visit. The boards marked PRIVATE had been sawn from their posts; the posts were left prone, but the notices had gone. He went on to Timothy, who showed that he knew nothing about the Hunt’s coming; he had been out of the Wood when the Hunt came. He knew nothing about the removal of the notice-boards. He was at work drawing a dead wood pigeon which he had picked up that morning. Frampton was pleased to see him really at work again. Frampton told him that he was summonsing the Hunt, and that it was a pity, that he, Timothy, had chosen the hunting morning, of all mornings, to go off on the binge.
“You don’t do the firm much good, you know,” he said, “going off like that. The chaps took down the notices right under your nose. No wonder these sportsmen think the bird sanctuary is a joke. Well, it isn’t a joke; I mean it to be the real thing; and these morning drams are no good to you. They’ll do you down. If you’d spent your evening well you’d not want any morning dram. Now you’ll pull up your leggings and get your evidence ready, about the damage these devils have done. Come on, now, and see with your own eyes.”
A little work with plaster showed that the three who had laid the drag had removed the notice-boards. He sent word to the police about this.
“You can get busy on that, too,” he said. “I’ll summons the three for wilful damage.”
It was not long before Sir Peter Bynd came to
“You know, Mr. Mansell,” he said, “I am much grieved at the Hunt’s trespass in your covert the other day. I was in London, unfortunately. The Hunt is full of apology, but I need hardly say that the whole thing was not in any way the action of the Hunt, but a prank of some of the young people. It was a mistake to meet at Tibb’s Cross, when you had closed Spirr. I ought to have seen that; but the wishes of the rest were too strong for me. There are two or three young people who come down here, who aren’t very wise. It may be best not to mention names. But I am sorry to say they opened your gate and persuaded everybody that you had relented at the last minute and wished the Hunt to draw Spirr. They told the Huntsman this; he’s a very good, simple fellow; and he believed them. They told the Whipper-in, that there was to be a drag, and that he was to halloo hounds away. He ought to have known better, but, of course, now that the harm’s done, he’s very contrite. For the rest of the field, of course, they believed what they wanted to believe, that you had opened Spirr again. Of course, all the best of them are very sorry. I think it was the greatest of pities that I was not there. A very old friend of mine was ill in London then; in fact, he died that morning. I was with him for his last few days of course, and have only now returned. Unfortunately, with myself not there and a new Master in charge, these young people had it their own way. But on behalf of the Hunt, I apologise sincerely, and hope that the matter may be forgiven and forgotten.”
He looked so wretched and spoke with so much charm, that Frampton would have been indeed stony-hearted had he felt no sympathy. But he was not a forgiving man. Suddenly there came into his mind the image of Annual-Tilter, the acting Master. Why the devil had not Tilter come to apologise? Tilter had been at the meet, though Bynd had been in London; Tilter, the fierce fool, who had blocked the Mansell Gun through a year of war.
“Sir Peter,” he said, “no one could hear you speak without being won to your side. I realise that if you had been there the trespass would never have been made. You were not in any way responsible. I was very angry at the trespass, and am angry still, that those who were responsible should not have apologised. It was meant as an insult, not as a prank, and every day without apology makes the insult worse. If these had been the days of duels, I’d have had your Tilter out and put a bullet through him.”
This was not the kind of talk to which Sir Peter was accustomed; he was astonished at Frampton’s tone.
“I’m sorry that you should be vexed with Annual-Tilter,” he said. “He was as much misled by these practical jokers as anybody there. I feel sure, that when he understands how you feel about it, he will be the first to come to make amends.”