Henry Coxwell

“ Mr Falcon’s stirring details of the storm and of the loss of Henry Goodall, left no room for doubt in his brother’s mind that he had perished; and as the financier, with more haste than discretion, had visited the Doves and had met with a reception which was warmer than the merchant was prepared to hear of, it became advisable that he should send for his nephew to beg of him to forego the allurements of ballooning and submit himself forthwith to Miss Dove’s fascinations, which had proved captivating even to the colonial man of figures. ”

“ After Harry Goodall and Tom Trigger had left the park and Doctor Peters in the lurch, a grand view burst upon them as the balloon mounted to an elevation of over two thousand feet, when the rays of the bright sun enlivened the Sussex scenery and began to dry the saturated silk. ”

“ Hawksworth left London with his usual jaunty air of confidence, which was one of his weak points, and another was his susceptibility to the charms of the fair sex. It was in endeavouring to make himself agreeable to Miss Chain, and to ingratiate himself with that young lady, that he made that fatal mistake at the Crystal Palace, in fancying that Captain Link was Filcher Falcon, merely because he personally resembled him to some extent. ”

“ Looking towards the hall, Mr Goodall saw Squire Dove at his open bedroom window waving both hands, while a voice in the lane was heard to cry out,—
“Stop, my good sir, where the dickens are you going to? I’ve brought the salve.”
“Thanks! Good morning, doctor; I’m due near Newhaven in less than twenty minutes, and could not possibly wait longer.”
“Depend upon it,” cried Lucy, “they’re gone to do something more than dry the balloon. I’ll give it to Tom for not letting me know what they are up to.”
“Tom knows no more than you or I do,” said Bennet. “I can vouch for that.” ”

“ Mr Falcon had thus far managed to keep the name of Harry Goodall in the background, and, strange to say, Edith had never been known to fall in love, although her father and she had many friends, including county families and distinguished personages; but they neither of them cared much for entertaining mere fashionable callers, although given particularly to hospitality when men of science or women of celebrity and worth were concerned, even if they had risen from the more humble ranks of life. ”

“ When Doctor Peters met the squire, he said to him confidentially,—
“It is advisable that the balloonist’s friend, the sailor, should look well after him to-night; and he must take no stimulants, as I fear that his mind is affected.”
“What makes you think so, Peters?”
“Think so? I’m sure of it, squire. He fancies that your friend Falcon is an incendiary and a homicide, besides being flighty.”
“That is no proof that he is deranged; this scientific gentleman is a perfectly sane and far-seeing man.” ”

“ Falcon noticed that he held up his arms and waved them as a signal of safety, but some of the bystanders protested that he was knocked all to pieces, a result which Falcon and the master carpenter disbelieved, seeing that he took the tree tops as if it was the only suitable place upon which to alight, in order to save himself and the air-ship, though Eben’s master could see that it was by extraordinary good luck he did not dash into the asylum yard, which was not very far off, and which might have killed him outright. ”

“ After Harry Goodall had finished his conversation with Hawksworth, he became very busy with the help of the gas men and the gardeners. The lower net-lines had been fixed to the hoop and the car, and then, when the balloon stood proudly erect, it presented a most magnificent specimen of the aeronautic art. Directly Trigger returned, and the filling had been completed, Mr Goodall began to inflate some small balloons, which were designed to provide an object lesson of some interest, besides showing what course the large balloon would take when set free. ”

“ My dear Nephew,—Should you see Captain Link at the Crystal Palace, will you ask him to proceed to Gravesend with all haste, and there await the arrival of my ship the Retriever, as her captain died suddenly yesterday, and, as Link is a single man and will not be returning just yet in the Neptune to Sydney, he might be glad of a little change. ”

“ Whilst the filling of the giant machine was going on, Mr Falcon and his servant, Croft, stealthily entered the turnstile of the North Tower, to quietly discuss their past undertakings and future plans, well knowing that at such an early hour they would, in all probability, be alone on the balcony, having at the same time a good view of all that was going on. ”

“ With kind regards to yourself and Miss Dove,—I remain, faithfully yours,
“William Goodall.”
“I think after that letter,” said the squire, “we shall have to await philosophically the full tide of events. In the meantime, I shall be glad to know, Edith, if you have heard anything from Lucy that will throw any more light on the situation.”
“Well, my dear father, Lucy did not think that Trigger knew what was his master’s real aim in ascending. He must have been hurrying on the preparations for what appeared to be a complete voyage of discovery. ”

“ But Warner, with remarkable shrewdness, said in an undertone by way of further explanation,—
“The party you are in search of, Hawksworth, is almost, though not quite, the double of that gentleman who is Captain Link.”
“But didn’t he leave Sydney and arrive here in the ship Neptune?”
“Yes, yes,” interrupted the aeronaut, “he has the honour to command her. You have missed your men, Hawksworth. The fellows you want have been knocking about here, causing no end of mischief, for some time.” ”

“ That board, you see, will cause us to sway to starboard or to port.”
“Hush, sir!” said the detective, in a whisper, “I fancied I heard a voice not far off.”
“Yes, you’re right, Warner—softly,” added Trigger, “I distinctly heard someone speaking.”
“And so do I,” said Harry Goodall, under his breath. “They are straight ahead, and are doubtless all unconscious of our proximity. We are gaining on them,” said Goodall, after a lapse of a few seconds. “Slack that lee-board line, Tom. Can’t you see her sails. We must bear more south, for the fog lifts a trifle, and it won’t do to be seen. ”

“ He ended his story by saying that Lucy’s last words to him were that he should be kind to Miss Chain, who had been so cruelly imposed upon by the man whose shadow on the screen she had positively identified, and which Harry Goodall began himself to infer was no other than a correct representation of the mysterious Mr Falcon.
“But hold on, Tom,” cried his master, as his assistant was proceeding with what he had seen and done; “we shall have to finish your trip as we walk through the Palace. ”

“ He was no other than Captain Link, who had seen his young friend’s balloon when it passed over the Neptune as she was going up the Thames, and who now came to have a chat with Harry, not only on his own account, but as the representative of Mr William Goodall, who believed that the straightforward, outspoken seaman would do more to convert his nephew than the Quixotic performances of Mr Falcon, of whom the merchant had formed an unfavourable opinion. ”

“ While Mr Falcon had been scheming in Sussex, Harry Goodall, on returning to the Crystal Palace, found that as his first ascent had proved such a great success, he would immediately try to guard against public gossip respecting the diabolical attempt which had been made to damage his balloon, in case the palace authorities might be induced to stop any further experiments.
Unquestionably, the erratic visits of the mysterious spy and his little satellite showed that the delinquent on the Essex marsh, the “shadow man” and the man on the North Tower with Eben Croft, were one and the same. ”

“ I need say no more on that head.”
“But supposing that you do mar and cripple the hobbyist and his hobby, what is your special object for taking on such a risky performance?”
“Why, you short-sighted man, to have the heiress, Miss D., all to myself, of course. I don’t want, between ourselves, such a man as Harry Goodall to even show his face at Wedwell Park—either as a young merchant or in any other capacity; for we must have two strings to our bow, in case our work on board the Neptune fails to pay. ”

“ However, I have done what I could for you, and so has your—your father, but your late indifference to our advice and wishes is most worrying.”
“You forget, uncle, that I am not actually declining to comply with your requests, so far as a visit to the Doves goes, but I cannot do so at present.”
“Then I decline to say any more to you, beyond this,—Take care, Harry Goodall, that you are not cut off with a bare pittance. Your future prospects depend upon your giving up your hobby, to begin with. Whilst you continue a balloonatic, if I may use a strong term, you will never be welcome at Wedwell.” ”

“ Edith then sat down at her father’s feet, and after some discussion, Goodall suggested that they should wire forthwith to Lewes and Newhaven?
“Yes, a bright thought! Come with me, brother Goodall, to the post-office. I feel a better man already from what you have offered to do. Order the carriage,” he said, turning to Bennet; “we can go on to Lewes after telegraphing.”
“Your carriage is already at the door, squire,” said the gamekeeper.
“Good, for there is not a moment to be lost. Be sure, Bennet, you do not say a word about this to Doctor Peters, or anybody else for the present.” ”

“ Trigger followed them to the door of the carriage, having his master’s hat in his hand, and pointed to a hole in it; but the aeronaut smiled and said,—
“You are really making much ado about nothing; it is a mere graze on the head. Don’t, pray, feel alarmed.”
Miss Dove, despite these assurances, was visibly agitated, nor could she well be otherwise, as a rather copious flow of blood pointed to a wound of some kind.
As soon as the Hall was reached, Lucy was sent for to go and look for Doctor Peters. ”

“ Some vulgar millionaire will carry her off while you are messing about in the clouds. I’ve no patience with you!”
“Do stop, uncle, for I am inclined to remain for [32] the present just as I am. You cannot make a lover of science into a fortune hunter. If fate had already thrown me into the society of Miss Dove, I might, or might not, have fallen in love with her. As it is, I cannot withdraw from what I have in hand, nor, to be candid, can I become a merchant’s clerk as a means to an end.”
“Harry Goodall, I am shocked at your folly and want of worldly wisdom. ”

“ Tom Trigger kept his eye on Warner, while Harry Goodall studied his map and instruments, not that Tom thought their bold passenger would fall overboard or funk, but he feared that the aerial detective might tread upon the armoury which had been stowed away so carefully beneath a canvas covering before they left Wedwell Park. ”

“ Falcon and Croft took a trap over, and I came in a fly—but I warn you that they may be here bent on mischief. I sent an earlier warning to Miss Dove not to go out without protection.
“S. W.”
“Oh, if this is from S. W., then the first was from him too,” said the squire. “How very clever and sharp, to be sure. I wish we had such men down here.”
“Warner is a born genius in his line, squire.”
[167] “I believe he is, and who was the London detective?”
“Oh, that was the opinionated man who wanted to arrest my friend the captain—his name is Hawksworth.” ”

“ Colour is given to this supposition, as this “gentleman” did not keep his appointment of dining with the squire.
“‘The last information we had was to the effect that the fugitive financier and his servant were wanted.’
“I am truly glad that the report stops there,” exclaimed the squire.
“And that no names are mentioned,” added Miss Dove.
“Nor the precise locality,” said Miss Chain.
“Still,” cried the squire, “Falcon hasn’t a leg to stand upon; and now, doctor, you are at liberty to say what you like, but mind what you do say, in case you have to eat your own words.” ”

“ My name is Hawksworth.”
“But, sir, possibly my latest information may be of little use to you.”
“Let me judge of that; the smallest clue sometimes leads to a capture.”
“Well, sir, I have been told that Mr Falcon has been seen on board a boulder boat, and that he was then transferred to a smack bound for Folkestone or Boulogne.”
[273] “Really, your information is of the greatest importance, but you are not ‘kidding’ me, I hope? But no! you look too straightforward to do that. You won’t be offended if I ask your name and address, I hope?” ”