Part 20 (2/2)
She caught hold of my arm in some agitation.
”Oh! be serious!” she prayed.
”Serious quotha!” said I, drawing away from her hand with much dignity. ”Let me a.s.sure you, madam, that the loss of a horse is a very serious affair, that the stealing of a horse is a very serious affair----”
”Well, well, I will buy it from you, saddle and stirrup and all,” she interrupted.
”Madam,” said I, when I could get my speech. ”There is no more to be said.”
”Heaven be praised!” said she. ”And now it may be, you will condescend to listen to me. What am I to do? Suppose that he is hurt! Suppose that he is in trouble! Suppose that he still waits for my answer to his message! Suppose in a word that he does not come! What can I do?
He may go hungering for a meal.”
I did not think the contingency probable, but Helen was now speaking with so much sincerity of distress that I could not say as much.
”Unless he comes to Tresco I am powerless. It is true I have bequeathed everything to him, but then I am young,” she said, with a most melancholy look in her big dark eyes. ”Neither am I sickly.”
”I will go back along the road and search for him,” and this I spoke with sincerity. She looked at me curiously.
”Will you do that?” she asked in a doubtful voice, as though she did not know whether to be pleased or sorry.
”Yes,” said I, and a servant knocked at the door, and told me Parmiter wished to speak with me. I found the lad on the steps of the porch, and we walked down to the beach.
”What is it?” I asked.
”The Frenchman,” said he, with a frightened air.
”Peter Tortue?”
”Yes.”
I led him further along the beach lest any of the windows of the house should be open towards us, and any one by the open window.
”Where is he?”
d.i.c.k pointed up the hill.
”At the shed?” I asked.
”Yes. He was lying in wait on the hillside, and ran down when he saw that I was alone. He stays in the shed for you, and you are to go to him alone.”
”Amongst the dead sailor-men?” said I, with a laugh. But the words were little short of blasphemy to d.i.c.k Parmiter. ”Well, I was there last night, and no harm came to me.”
”You were there last night?” cried d.i.c.k. ”Then you will not go?”
”But I will,” said I. ”I am curious to hear what Tortue has to say to me. You may take my word for it, d.i.c.k, there's no harm in Peter Tortue. I shall be back within the hour. Hus.h.!.+ not a word of this!”
for I saw Helen Mayle coming from the house towards us. I told her that I was called away, and would return.
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