Part 28 (1/2)
Harry bent down, and in a low, very low, faint whisper told her all about it, dwelling upon every little detail, and not forgetting to mention how he had longed to see her, and had risked everything for it. And Katie kept interrupting him incessantly, with soft cooing whispers of sympathy, which were exceeding sweet and precious.
And Katie proceeded to tell that she had been dreaming--and wasn't it funny?--about him; that she thought he had got into one of the windows, and was about to carry her off.
”And were you glad to see me?” asked Harry.
”Awfully!” said Katie; ”just the same in my dream as I am now, only I can't see you one bit--it's so awfully dark.”
”Are you afraid?” asked Harry, in a trembling voice.
”Afraid? Oh no. It's awfully nice, and all that, you know.”
”But shouldn't you like to get away out of this?”
”Get away?”
”Yes, if I could get off, and get you off too?”
”But how can we go?”
”Well, I don't know just yet. I only know the way from my room here, and back again; but I may find out something.”
”But that won't do any good. Don't you really know any way out?”
”Not yet, but I hope to find one; I dare say I shall before long.”
”Oh, how delicious! how perfectly delicious that would be! I do wish that you only could. It would be quite too awfully nice, you know.”
”I'll let you know. I promise you.”
”But then,” said Katie, ”you'll be going off yourself and leaving poor me behind.”
”Leave you!” said Harry, indignantly; ”never!”
”Wouldn't you really?” asked Katie, in a tone of delight.
”Never,” said Harry. ”I wouldn't stir a step without you. I'd rather be a prisoner with you than a free man without you.”
Katie drew a long breath.
”Well,” said she, ”I think you must be a true friend.”
”I'd rather be here with you,” persisted Harry, ”than anywhere in the world without you.”
”If only your pa.s.sage-way ran outside the building, wouldn't it be nice?” said Katie. ”Why, we might pop out now, and away we would go, and no one a bit the wiser.”
”And where would you like me to take you?”
”Where? Oh, anywhere!”
”But where in particular?”