“I’m not the least afraid of catching
cold,” said Johnny. “Is he often
like that, my lord?” And he made a motion with
his head towards the bull.
“The gentlest creature alive; he’s like
a lamb generally—just like a lamb.
Perhaps he saw my red pocket-handkerchief.”
And Lord De Guest showed his friend that he carried
such an article. “But where should I have
been if you hadn’t come up?”
“You’d have got to the gate, my lord.”
“Yes; with my feet foremost, and four men carrying
me. I’m very thirsty. You don’t
happen to carry a flask, do you?”
“No, my lord, I don’t.”
“Then we’ll make the best of our way home,
and have a glass of wine there.” And on
this occasion his lordship intended that his offer
should be accepted.
Lord De Guest at Home
The earl and John Eames, after their escape from the
bull, walked up to the Manor House together.
“You can write a note to your mother, and I’ll
send it by one of the boys,” said the earl.
This was his lordship’s answer when Eames declined
to dine at the Manor House, because he would be expected
home.
“But I’m so badly off for clothes, my
lord,” pleaded Johnny. “I tore my
trousers in the hedge.”
“There will be nobody there beside us two and
Dr Crofts. The doctor will forgive you when he
hears the story; and as for me, I didn’t care
if you hadn’t a stitch to your back. You’ll
have company back to Guestwick, so come along.”
Eames had no further excuse to offer, and therefore
did as he was bidden. He was by no means as much
at home with the earl now as during those minutes
of the combat. He would rather have gone home,
being somewhat ashamed of being seen in his present
tattered and bare-headed condition by the servants
of the house; and moreover, his mind would sometimes
revert to the scene which had taken place in the garden
at Allington. But he found himself obliged to
obey the earl, and so he walked on with him through
the woods.
The earl did not say very much, being tired and somewhat
thoughtful. In what little he did say he seemed
to be specially hurt by the ingratitude of the bull
towards himself. “I never teased him, or
annoyed him in any way.”
“I suppose they are dangerous beasts?”
said Eames.
“Not a bit of it, if they’re properly
treated. It must have been my handkerchief, I
suppose. I remember that I did blow my nose.”
He hardly said a word in the way of thanks to his
assistant. “Where should I have been if
you had not come to me?” he had exclaimed immediately
after his deliverance; but having said that he didn’t
think it necessary to say much more to Eames.
But he made himself very pleasant, and by the time
he had reached the house his companion was almost
glad that he had been forced to dine at the Manor House.
“And now we’ll have a drink,” said
the earl. “I don’t know how you feel,
but I never was so thirsty in my life.”
