They wheeled their bicycles out of the cats' home quietly, mounted, rode quickly down the road till they were out of hearing of the house, and then slackened their pace in order to reach their destination cool and tidy. They timed their arrival with such nicety that as they dismounted before the door of Deeping Hall, Sir James Morgan, in the content inspired by an excellent dinner, was settling himself comfortably in an easy chair in his smoking-room.

They mounted the steps of the Court without a tremor: they were not only a.s.sured of the justice of their cause, they were a.s.sured that it would prevail. A landed proprietor who preserves his pheasants and his fish with the usual strictness, _can not_ allow himself to be prosecuted for poaching.

The Terror rang the bell firmly; and Mawley, the butler, surprised at the coming of visitors at so late an hour, opened the door himself.

"Good evening, Mr. Mawley, we want to see Sir James on important business," said the Terror with a truly businesslike air.

Mawley had come to the Grange in the train of the Princess Elizabeth; and since he found the Deeping air uncommonly bracing, he had permitted Sir James to keep him on at the Grange after her return to Ca.s.sel-Na.s.sau. He had made the acquaintance of the Twins during the last days of her stay, after the camp had been broken up, and had formed a high opinion of their ability and their manners. Moreover, of a very susceptible nature, he had a warm admiration of Mrs. Dangerfield whom he saw every Sunday at Little Deeping church.

None the less he looked at them doubtfully, and said in a reproachful tone: "It's very late, Master Terror. You can't expect Sir James to see people at this hour."

"I know it's late; but the business is important--very important," said the Terror firmly.

Mawley hesitated. His admiration of Mrs. Dangerfield made him desirous of obliging her children. Then he said:

"If you'll sit down a minute, I'll tell Sir James that you're here."

"Thank you," said the Terror; and he and Erebus came into the great hall, sat down on a couch covered by a large bearskin, and gazed round them at the arms and armor with appreciative eyes.

Mawley found Sir James lighting a big cigar; and told him that Master and Miss Dangerfield wished to see him on business.

"Oh? They're the two children who wrote and asked me for leave to fish. But Hilton told me that they were the most mischievous little devils in the county, so I took no notice of their letter," said Sir James.

"Well, being your steward, Sir James, Mr. Hilton would be bound to tell you so. But it's my belief that, having the name for it, a lot of mischief is put down to them which they never do. And after all they're Dangerfields, Sir James; and you couldn't expect them to behave like ordinary children," said Mawley in the tone and manner of a persuasive diplomat.

"Well, I don't see myself giving them leave to fish," said Sir James.

"There are none too many fish in the stream as it is; and a couple of noisy children won't make those easier to catch. But I may as well tell them so myself; so you may bring them here."

Mawley fetched the Twins and ushered them into the smoking-room. They entered it with the self-possessed air of persons quite sure of themselves, and greeted Sir James politely.

He was somewhat taken aback by their appearance and air, for his steward had somehow given him the impression that they were thick, red-faced and robustious. He felt that these pleasant-looking young gentlefolk could never have really earned their unfortunate reputation.

There must be a mistake somewhere.

The Twins were, on their part also, far more favorably impressed by him than they had looked to be; his lean tanned face, with the rather large arched nose, the thin-lipped melancholy mouth, not at all hidden by the small clipped mustache, and his keen eyes, almost as blue as those of the Terror, pleased them. He looked an uncommonly dependable baronet.

"Well, and what is this important matter you wished to see me about?"

he said in a more indulgent tone than he had expected to use.

"We saw you in Glazebrook's meadow this afternoon--poaching," said the Terror in a gentle, almost deprecatory tone.

Sir James sat rather more upright in his chair, with a sudden sense of discomfort. He had not connected this visit with his transgression.

"And you caught three fish," said Erebus in a sterner voice.

"Oh? Then it was one of you who called 'Cave!' from the wood?" said Sir James.

"Yes; we didn't want old Glazebrook to catch you," said the Terror.

"Oh--er--thanks," said Sir James in a tone of discomfort.

"That wouldn't have been any use to us," said the Terror.

"Of use to you?" said Sir James.

"Yes; if he'd caught you, there wouldn't be any reason why we should fish your water," said the Terror.

Sir James looked puzzled:

"But is there any reason now?" he said.

"Yes. You see, you were poaching," said the Terror in a very gentle explanatory voice.

"And you caught three fish," said Erebus in something of the manner of a chorus in an Athenian tragedy.

Sir James sat bolt upright with a sudden air of astonished enlightenment:

"Well, I'm--hanged if it isn't blackmail!" he cried.

"Blackmail?" said the Terror in a tone of pleasant animation. "Why, that's what the Scotch reavers used to do! I never knew exactly what it was."

"And we're doing it. That is nice," said Erebus, almost preening herself.

"But this is disgraceful! If you'd been village children--but gentlefolk!" cried Sir James with considerable heat.

"Well, the Douglases were gentlefolk; and they blackmailed," said the Terror in a tone of sweet reason.

"Poaching's a misdemeanor; blackmailing's a kind of stealing," said Erebus virtuously, forgetting for the moment her mother's fur stole.

"Poaching's a misdemeanor; blackmailing's a felony," said Sir James loftily.

The distinction was lost on the Twins; and Erebus said with conviction: "Poaching's worse."

Sir James hated to be beaten; and he looked from one to the other with very angry eyes. The Twins wore a cold imperturbable air. Their appearance no longer pleased him.

"It's your own fault entirely," said the Terror coldly. "If you'd been civil and answered our letter, even refusing, we shouldn't have bothered about you. But you didn't take any notice of it--"

"And it was beastly cheek," said Erebus.

"You couldn't expect us to stand that kind of thing. So we kept an eye on you and caught you poaching," said the Terror.

"Without any excuse for it. You've plenty of fishing of your own,"

said Erebus severely.

"And if I don't give you leave to fish my water, you're going to sneak to the police, are you?" said Sir James in a tone of angry disgust.

The Terror flushed and with a very cold dignity said: "We aren't going to do anything of the kind; and we don't want any leave to fish your water at all. We're just going to fish it; and if you go sneaking to the police and prosecuting us, then after you've started it you'll get prosecuted yourself by old Glazebrook. That's what we came to say."

"And that'll teach you to be polite and answer people next time they write to you," said Erebus in a tone of cold triumph.