Part 40 (1/2)
The widow sighed and was fain to rest content. She sat down beside the tree while her companions talked together apart in low tones.
”Now Jo, my man,” continued Henry, ”_one_ of our friends must be got out of the way.”
”Wery good; I'm the man as'll do it.”
”Of course I don't mean that he's to be killed!”
”In coorse not. Who is he?”
”Ole Thorwald.”
”Wot! the descendant o' the Sea Kings, as he calls himself?”
”The same,” said Henry, laughing at the look of surprise with which b.u.mpus received this information.
”What has _he_ bin an' done?”
”He has done nothing as yet,” said Henry; ”but he will, certainly thwart our schemes if he hears of them. He has an inveterate ill-will to my poor father;” (Henry lowered his voice as he proceeded,) ”and I know has suspicions that we are concocting some plan to enable him to escape, and watches us accordingly. I find him constantly hanging about the jail.
Alas! if he knew how thoroughly determined Gascoyne is to refuse deliverance unless it comes from the proper source, he would keep his mind more at ease.”
”Don't you think if you wos to tell him that Gascoyne _is_ yer father he would side with us?” suggested b.u.mpus.
”Perhaps he would. I _think_ he would; but I dare not risk it. The easier method will be to outwit him.”
”Not an easy thing for to do, I'm afraid, for he's a cute old feller.
How's it to be done?” asked b.u.mpus.
”By telling him the truth,” said Henry; ”and _you_ must tell it to him.”
”Well, that _is_ a koorious way,” said b.u.mpus with a broad grin.
”But not the whole truth,” continued Henry. ”You must just tell him as much as it is good for him to know, and nothing more; and as the thing must be done at once, I'll tell you what you have got to say.”
Here the young man explained to the attentive b.u.mpus the course that he was to follow, and having got him thoroughly to understand his part, he sent him away to execute it.
Meanwhile he and his mother went in search of Mr Mason, who at the time was holding a consultation with the chiefs of the native village, near the site of his burnt cottage. The consultation had just been concluded when they reached the spot, and the missionary was conversing with the native carpenter who superintended the erection of his new home.
After the morning greeting, and a few words of general conversation, Mrs Stuart said--
”We have come to have a talk with you in private; will you walk to Alice's tree with us?”
”Certainly, my friend; I hope no new evils are about to befall us,” said the missionary, who was startled by the serious countenances of the mother and son, for he was ignorant of the close relation in which they stood to Gascoyne, as, indeed, was every one else in the settlement, excepting Montague and his boatswain, and Corrie, all of whom were enjoined to maintain the strictest secrecy on the point.
”No, I thank G.o.d, all is well,” replied Mrs Stuart; ”but we have come to say that we are going away.”
”Going away!” echoed the missionary in surprise. ”When?--where to?-- why? You amaze me, Mary.”
”Henry will explain.”