The Adventures of Tom Leigh by Phyllis Bentley Read Free Book Online Page B

by the voices of Jeremy and Mr. Firth above my head.
    â€œâ€”a lazy, idle, good-for-nothing, like all these apprentices,” Jeremy was concluding in his tone of malice.
    â€œNay, let the lad sleep. He had a hard day yesterday,” said Mr. Firth.
    I started up and threw off my coverlet and began to apologise for my late rising, rather confusedly I admit, for I was still half asleep. Mr. Firth sent me down to wash at the trough, and while I was about this Gracie came dancing out and told me to go into the house for something to eat. She was a merry little thing, and I was sorry she still spoke very coldly to me. Mrs. Firth too had not a word for me when I went in, but for all that ladled me out a good portion of oatmeal porridge. I had hardly finished when Mr. Firth shouted to me from above stairs to stay down and help Josiah outside. I went out and saw an elderly grizzled man crossing the yard, carrying a piece of cloth across one shoulder, his arm akimbo on his hip to support its weight. I followed him round the corner of the house; the doors ofthe taking-in place had been flung back, and Jeremy stood in the opening, letting down a huge hook on the end of a rope which ran over a pulley. Sandy with his paws tucked in lay comfortably to one side, surveying the scene from half-shut eyes, and Mr. Firth leaned out behind him.
    â€œI’m coming down to thee, Josiah,” cried Mr. Firth. “Come into th’house and I’ll pay thee now. Lap piece up in this, Tom.”
    He threw down one of the fents of cloth I had slept on. It clanged as it hit the ground, and I saw that metal rings had been fastened to the four corners. I opened this out, and Josiah threw his piece down on it and then went off to the house door. Gracie came dancing to the corner and stood watching as the hook descended slowly to the level of my hands. Where she stood she was out of sight of Jeremy, or he would have behaved differently, no doubt; as it was, thinking himself unobserved he cried: “Dang thee, cat, get out o’ my way,” and gave Sandy a sharp kick.
    Taken at a disadvantage Sandy flew through the air with a piteous mew. Gracie screamed and I put out my arms and caught him. It was more by good luck than by management, I admit, but as I held him against my shoulder and felt his quick heartbeats and saw the look of fright in his great green eyes, I felt glad I had been handy. Gracie ran to me and I put him in her arms.
    â€œYou horrid man!” cried Gracie to Jeremy, tilting her head back to look at him. “You kicked my cat.”
    â€œNay, now, Miss Gracie,” said Jeremy, a trifle flustered. “I didn’t kick him, I just stumbled over him, like.”
    Gracie looked at me, and I am sure she read in my face that this was a lie.
    â€œCats always fall on their feet, any road,” said Jeremy.
    â€œNow what’s all this?” demanded Mr. Firth, coming round the house at a run. “What are you screaming for, Gracie?”
    â€œJeremy kicked Sandy out of the taking-in place,” said Gracie, “and Tom caught him.”
    â€œNow, master, you know I wouldn’t kick Miss Gracie’s cat,” said Jeremy smoothly. “I stumbled over him and the cat fell out on his own.”
    â€œThe cat shouldn’t be up in the workshop in any case,” cried Mrs. Firth sharply from the porch.
    â€œI reckon Tom took him up there,” said Jeremy.
    â€œTom caught him,” said Gracie. “Jeremy kicked him.”
    â€œNow, lovey, now,” said Mr. Firth soothingly. “Jeremy didn’t mean to harm Sandy.”
    Gracie gave a little snort. I could not but smile; though Gracie is but a child, I thought, she is shrewder than her father.
    â€œBe off with you to your mother, child,” said Mr. Firth.
    He pushed her gently towards the porch. But Gracie hung back and looked at me over her shoulder.
    â€œThank you for catching Sandy, Tom,” she cried.
    I