Scanty as his purse was, the same idea had occurred to Lord Cullingford, who by this time was feeling the dire necessity not only for a drink himself but for a few words of cheer, so with an authority he did not feel, he called loudly to the stout lady on the other side of the counter. Whereupon the crowd seemed to surge round him the closer, tankards were thumped on the bar and many voices cried out, ‘Missus Waggetts. Wanted. Gentleman’s orders.’
‘Comin’! Comin’! ’Ere I be,’ and the enormous proprietress bustled to that end of the bar and began filling innumerable tankards, which operation, taking considerable time, it was not for ten minutes that Mrs. Waggetts, almost as an afterthought, asked if there was anything he required for himself. So, not wishing to be thought superior, he ordered a tankard of the same, and upon tasting it found that it was heavily laced with brandy, which though not displeasing on his own account, being the very thing that he needed, was, he thought, taking his generosity a trifle for granted. However, putting a good face on it, he flung a guinea on the counter, and making sure that this time he would not be misunderstood, he ordered himself another glass of brandy with a request that the food should be served to him as soon as possible in the coffee room. But half an hour later Mr. Mipps, overcome by his insatiable curiosity regarding the Vicar’s unusual visitor, walked into the bar parlour himself and found Lord Cullingford still indulging his newly acquired taste for beer and brandy.
‘Why, blow me down and knock me up solid!’ exclaimed Mipps, ‘who would have thought we’d meet again so soon?’ But he did not mention that he had come there expressly for the purpose, having been told that the young dandy was in the bar parlour at the ‘Ship’ and was pushing out the boat, which indeed Lord Cullingford, must to his surprise, found that he had been doing steadily since his first order. By this time, however, having grown somewhat reckless, he had thrown caution to the wind, several other guineas on the counter, and again to his surprise discovered he was enjoying himself. So greeting Mr. Mipps almost as a long-lost friend he called to Mrs. Waggetts to supply him with a good measure. Mr. Mipps winked at Mrs. Waggetts. Mrs. Waggetts winked back and served him with a double noggin of brandy neat, which the Sexton tossed down in one, and pushed the glass forward for another, apologizing for his undue haste and remarking that he seemed to be a bit behind the others.
As soon as he had caught up to his satisfaction Mipps paused, and, after surveying Lord Cullingford attentively, remarked: ‘Well, well, now whatever should bring a fine young gentleman like yourself down to the seaside at this time o’ year? If you’re thinkin’ of indulgin’ in that there new-fangled bathin’, you’ll find it ’orrible cold. Or was it fishin’ you was thinkin’ of? Our Dover soles is famous.’
‘If it’s fishin’ he’s thinkin’ of,’ chortled an old crony, ‘he’ll be after something bigger than them Dover tiddlers, I’ll be bound. I do ’ear tell that several London gentlemen ’ave a mind to go a-fishin’ for our Scarecrow. ’Tis a tidy reward they’d get, and p’raps London ain’t so full of guineas as they wouldn’t want to earn it.’ Which remark being exceedingly pertinent to his lordship, warned him to keep his own counsel, so he did not rise to the bait, and fortunately enough, before the inquisitive yokels could question him further, the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a Sergeant of Dragoons with half a dozen troopers, who came in for the probing badinage and facetious heckling which otherwise might have been directed towards him.
‘’Evenin’, Sergeant,’ said Mr. Mipps. ‘Found what you’ve been lookin’ for, or ain’t you been lookin’ today?’ The red-faced sergeant swung across the bar parlour, spurs jingling and banged a gauntleted fist upon the counter, as he called for drinks. His attitude was that of a pugnacious game-cock, which, though it did not intimidate Mr. Mipps, had the power of paralysing his enormous troopers.
‘We don’t want none of your quips and quirks, Mister Sexton,’ he snorted. ‘We’ve been out today and well you knows it. Though we didn’t find what we was lookin’ for, we finds out quite enough to help us to go on lookin’, and if I knows anything about the look in Major Faunce’s eye, we’ll be out again lookin’ tonight.’
‘Well, they do say,’ croaked the old croney in the corner, ‘that there’s none so blind as them as looks and can’t see.’ And so it went on, the yokels baiting the red-coats who generally came off worst. Indeed, had not Mrs. Waggetts’ beer been of such excellent brew, some pretty quarrels might have ensued; but its soothing qualities acted quickly on the tired Dragoons, and, putting them in good humour, the sallies were taken and returned in good part.
Lord Cullingford, used to the polished wit of the London exquisites, was bored with the crude clowning of these bumpkins, and welcomed the news that his dinner was ready in the coffee room, where he was delighted to find that the fare, though simple, was yet well cooked while the cellar list might have put most London taverns to shame.
The only other occupant of the coffee room was an officer of Dragoons who for some time was engrossed over military papers at the far end of the long table, but upon the serving-wench bringing in his dinner, he moved nearer to Lord Cullingford and the two were soon engaged in conversation. Major Faunce, although an older man and a typical soldier, possessed a manner both frank and engaging, and Lord Cullingford was relieved to find someone of his own class who seemed eager to converse upon the one thing which his lordship most wished to hear — namely, the Scarecrow.
‘Though I have been over here but a week,’ Major Faunce explained, ‘I have learned to appreciate the difficulties before me. The ways of the Scarecrow and his gang are devilish tricky, as my own brother knew to his cost. Many years ago that was, too, and since then the organization has been so built up that I don’t believe anyone will stop it. Still, orders, you know. Though as far as I’m concerned I shall be glad when I’m ordered to France, for I’d rather fight the Frenchies than have to deal with this hole-and-corner business.’
Which statement served to plunge Lord Cullingford back into his former despondency. And it was not until the Major said that he had received information that there was to be a run tonight and that he hoped for some action, that he saw again some ray of hope, and indeed his spirits soared when the Major laughingly suggested that if he wanted a good ride and had no objection to jumping a dyke or two, he might care to come along and see something of the Scarecrow’s work.
‘Though, understand me, sir,’ concluded the Major, ‘I cannot promise that we shall see a thing.’ This offer Lord Cullingford accepted eagerly, though protesting that having ridden from London that day, his acceptance must depend upon the condition of his mare. And warming to the subject, having for some time been in sore need of a confidant, he found himself blurting out the full extent of his difficulties and the reason of his visit to Dymchurch.