opened his mouth once; then closed it again and sat hunched in his place.
Colonel Sexton sighed. He rubbed his eyes; then began to pace slowly up and down in front of the fire. ' I should not be telling you this’ he said at length, addressing Captain Foxe in a low, sombre voice. ' I fear, though, it will be common knowledge all too soon enough. The Commonwealth is collapsing, John. Parliament, it is said, will shortly be dissolved. The army is preparing to march upon London.' He paused. The King waits in Holland to be restored to his throne.'
Captain Foxe shrugged. 'As he has been waiting these eleven years now.'
'Do not be naive.' Colonel Sexton rounded the table to meet his deputy's stare. 'You know full well what I mean. If the King is restored, John - then so are all his men.'
'That is not certain,' said Captain Foxe obstinately.
'No. But it is probable.'
'All the more reason, then, why we must act at once.' I cannot allow you into Wolverton Hall.' 'Why not, sir?' ' I have told you.'
Captain Foxe narrowed his eyes. 'Because the King's men may be returning, and you are afraid for your post? As I remember, sir, you used not to be so scared of Cavaliers.'
The blood had at once left Colonel Sexton's face. He clenched his fists; then, very slowly, unclenched them again. ' I would not have taken that,' he whispered, 'from any other man.'
'Of course not, sir.' Captain Foxe bowed his head. 'So I have your permission then, do I , to enter the house?'
A smile, very faint, flickered on Colonel Sexton's lips. 'You always did ride your luck, Captain.'
'Yes, sir.'
'But it is not luck altogether, I think. The Spirit of the Lord watches over you.'
'He watches over us all, sir.'
Colonel Sexton smiled faintly again. 'And if you find nothing?' he asked at length. 'If Wolverton Hall is empty - what then?'
Captain Foxe glanced at Mr Aubrey. 'We shall still not be wholly lost,' he said, 'God willing.' He turned back to face his superior. 'It may be, sir,' he explained, 'there will be a further trail we can follow. That is why I asked that we should have our meeting here, and have free discussion before Mr Aubrey so that he may learn what we know about the author of the crimes, and be equal with us in our pursuit of the fiend, whose evil otherwise may overwhelm us all.'
'Otherwise, Captain?' asked Colonel Sexton, 'otherwise? So Mr Aubrey's presence is truly that important? I agreed to your request that he be in attendance with us, but without understanding why, for I was content to trust to your good sense, and thought the reason for it would soon become clear. It has not, though.' Turning to study Mr Aubrey, who sat sulking in his chair, the Colonel frowned. ' I still do not see how he can help us,' he murmured. He turned back to Captain Foxe. 'And yet you tell me he will lead us to Wolverton?'
'He may, should we require him to.'
'How?'
'He is a chronicler of Wiltshire's mon uments.' 'Why should that be of any concern to us?'
' I told you before, Colonel. We are hunting evil - and there is evil waiting in the monuments hereabouts. Is that not so, Mr Aubrey?'
Mr Aubrey shrugged, and twisted, and scratched at his head. 'It is possible,' he stammered, 'in a sense, I suppose. There is much uncertainty on the matter. I really couldn't say.' But he began to nod to himself; and at once it was as though the motion of his head was shaking up his ideas, so that when he spoke again, he seemed barely able to keep pace with his thoughts. 'The antiquities are so very ancient,' he explained, 'and so few records of them survive, that it really is very difficult to say.. . and yet I think - yes, I really do - that if one surveys them on the spot, and interprets what legends and old stories say - and allows one's speculations free wing - then ... yes . . . one could argue - please don't smile - that they were used by the priests of terrible gods -by the Druids, perhaps - as places of sacrifice - in dark groves, or beneath the shadow of
Colonel Sexton sighed. He rubbed his eyes; then began to pace slowly up and down in front of the fire. ' I should not be telling you this’ he said at length, addressing Captain Foxe in a low, sombre voice. ' I fear, though, it will be common knowledge all too soon enough. The Commonwealth is collapsing, John. Parliament, it is said, will shortly be dissolved. The army is preparing to march upon London.' He paused. The King waits in Holland to be restored to his throne.'
Captain Foxe shrugged. 'As he has been waiting these eleven years now.'
'Do not be naive.' Colonel Sexton rounded the table to meet his deputy's stare. 'You know full well what I mean. If the King is restored, John - then so are all his men.'
'That is not certain,' said Captain Foxe obstinately.
'No. But it is probable.'
'All the more reason, then, why we must act at once.' I cannot allow you into Wolverton Hall.' 'Why not, sir?' ' I have told you.'
Captain Foxe narrowed his eyes. 'Because the King's men may be returning, and you are afraid for your post? As I remember, sir, you used not to be so scared of Cavaliers.'
The blood had at once left Colonel Sexton's face. He clenched his fists; then, very slowly, unclenched them again. ' I would not have taken that,' he whispered, 'from any other man.'
'Of course not, sir.' Captain Foxe bowed his head. 'So I have your permission then, do I , to enter the house?'
A smile, very faint, flickered on Colonel Sexton's lips. 'You always did ride your luck, Captain.'
'Yes, sir.'
'But it is not luck altogether, I think. The Spirit of the Lord watches over you.'
'He watches over us all, sir.'
Colonel Sexton smiled faintly again. 'And if you find nothing?' he asked at length. 'If Wolverton Hall is empty - what then?'
Captain Foxe glanced at Mr Aubrey. 'We shall still not be wholly lost,' he said, 'God willing.' He turned back to face his superior. 'It may be, sir,' he explained, 'there will be a further trail we can follow. That is why I asked that we should have our meeting here, and have free discussion before Mr Aubrey so that he may learn what we know about the author of the crimes, and be equal with us in our pursuit of the fiend, whose evil otherwise may overwhelm us all.'
'Otherwise, Captain?' asked Colonel Sexton, 'otherwise? So Mr Aubrey's presence is truly that important? I agreed to your request that he be in attendance with us, but without understanding why, for I was content to trust to your good sense, and thought the reason for it would soon become clear. It has not, though.' Turning to study Mr Aubrey, who sat sulking in his chair, the Colonel frowned. ' I still do not see how he can help us,' he murmured. He turned back to Captain Foxe. 'And yet you tell me he will lead us to Wolverton?'
'He may, should we require him to.'
'How?'
'He is a chronicler of Wiltshire's mon uments.' 'Why should that be of any concern to us?'
' I told you before, Colonel. We are hunting evil - and there is evil waiting in the monuments hereabouts. Is that not so, Mr Aubrey?'
Mr Aubrey shrugged, and twisted, and scratched at his head. 'It is possible,' he stammered, 'in a sense, I suppose. There is much uncertainty on the matter. I really couldn't say.' But he began to nod to himself; and at once it was as though the motion of his head was shaking up his ideas, so that when he spoke again, he seemed barely able to keep pace with his thoughts. 'The antiquities are so very ancient,' he explained, 'and so few records of them survive, that it really is very difficult to say.. . and yet I think - yes, I really do - that if one surveys them on the spot, and interprets what legends and old stories say - and allows one's speculations free wing - then ... yes . . . one could argue - please don't smile - that they were used by the priests of terrible gods -by the Druids, perhaps - as places of sacrifice - in dark groves, or beneath the shadow of
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