On entering the yard poor Beverley, who had done his bit of cunning, and by reaction now relapsed into extra simplicity, came running, and said, "I've done it; she has got it.""What have you done? Who has got what?" cried Rooke.
"Don't tell, Frank."
"If you don't I'll shake your life out, ye young blackguard," cried Rooke, seizing him and throttling him till he was black in the face.
Alfred's long-pent fury broke out: he gnashed his teeth and dashed his fist in Rooke's face.
Rooke staggered back and bellowed with pain and anger, then rushing at him incautiously, received a stinger that staggered him, and nearly closed his right eye. He took the hint, and put himself in a posture that showed he was skilled in the art of self-defence. He stopped two blows neatly, and returned a heavy one upon the ribs. Alfred staggered back some steps, but steadied himself, and, as Rooke rushed in too hastily to improve his advantage, caught him heavily on the other eye, but lost his own balance a little, which enabled Rooke to close; then came a sharp short rally of re-echoing blows, and Rooke, not to be denied, got hold of his man, and a wrestling bout ensued, in which Alfred being somewhat weakened by misery and broken rest, Rooke's great weight and strength enabled him, after a severe struggle, to fall with his antagonist under him, and knock the breath out of his body for the moment. Then Hayes, who had stood prudently aloof, came in and helped handcuff him. They could not walk up and down him for the Robin, who stood by with a professional air to see fair play.
"Ah, cold iron is your best chance," he said satirically. "Never you mind, sir: you hit quick and well: I'd back _you_ at long odds in the ring: both his peepers are in deep mourning." He added, "A cow can beat a man wrestling."When Alfred was handcuffed they turned him loose. It soon transpired, however, that he was now a dangerous maniac (Formula) and to be confined in the noisy ward.
On hearing this he saw the trap he had fallen into; saw and trembled. He asked himself what on earth he should do; and presently the saying came back to him, "And this is the highest stroke of art, to turn evil into good." He argued thus: Wolf's love of money is my great evil; he will destroy me for money, do anything for money. Then suppose I offer him money to be honest. He begged an interview with Dr. Wolf on business.
This was accorded at once. He asked the doctor plump whether he received a large sum to detain him under pretence of insanity.
"Not very, considering the trouble you sometimes give, Mr. Hardie," was the dry reply.
"Well, then, Justice shall outbid rascality for once. I am a sane man, and you know it; a man of my word, and you know it. I'll give you a thousand pounds to let me out of this place."Dr. Wolf's eyes sparkled.
"You shall have any bond or security you like; and the money within a week of my deliverance."Dr. Wolf said he should be delighted to do it, if he could conscientiously.
At this piece of hypocrisy Alfred's cheek reddened, and he could not speak.
"Well, well, I do see a great change in you for the better," said Dr.
Wolf. "If, as I suspect, you are convalescent, I will part with you without a thousand pounds or a thousand pence.
Alfred stared. Had he mistaken his man?
"I'll tell you what, though," said the smooth doctor. "I have got two pictures, one by Raphael, one by Correggio.""I know them," said the quick-witted Alfred; "they are worth more than a thousand pounds.""Of course they are, but I would take a thousand pounds from you.""Throw me in my liberty, and I'll make it guineas.""We will see about that." And with this understanding the men of business parted. Dr. Wolf consulted Mrs. Archbold then and there.
"Impossible," said she; "the law would dissolve such a bargain, and you would be exposed and ruined.""But a thousand pounds!" said the poor doctor.
"Oh, he offered me more than that," said Mrs. Archbold.
"You don't mean to say so; when was that?""Do you remember one Sunday that I walked him out, to keep clear of Mrs.
Dodd? Have you not observed that I have not repeated the experiment?""Yes. But I really don't know why.""Will you promise me faithfully not to take any notice if I tell you?"The doctor promised.
Then she owned to him with manifest reluctance that Alfred had taken advantage of her kindness, her indiscretion, in walking alone with him, and made passionate love to her. "He offered me not a thousand pounds,"said she, "but his whole fortune, and his heart, if I would fly with him from _these odious walls;_ that was his expression."Then seeing out of a corner of her eye that the doctor was turning almost green with jealousy, this artist proceeded to describe the love scene between her and Alfred, with feigned hesitation, yet minute detail. Only she inverted the parts: Alfred in her glowing page made the hot love; she listened abashed, confused, and tried all she could think of to bring him to better sentiments. She concluded this chapter of history inverted with a sigh, and said, "So now he hates me, I believe, poor fellow.""Do you regret your refusal?" asked Dr. Wolf uneasily.
"Oh no, my dear friend. Of course, my judgment says that few women at my age and in my position would have refused. But we poor women seldom go by our judgments." And she cast a tender look down at the doctor's feet.