Part 23 (1/2)
CHAPTER XIII.-JASPER TO THE RESCUE.
The next evening, at the hour which she had named, Jasper walked down the road which led to The Priory. She walked with a confident step; she had very little doubt that Sylvia would be waiting for her. She was not far wrong in her expectations. A girl, wrapped in a cloak, was standing by a hedge. By the girl stood the mastiff Pilot. Pilot was not too well fed, but he was better fed than Sylvia. It was necessary, according to Mr. Leeson's ideas, that Pilot should be strong enough to guard The Priory against thieves, against unwelcome, prying visitors-against the whole of the human race. But even Pilot could be caught by guile, and Sylvia was determined that he should be friends with Jasper. As Jasper came up the road Sylvia advanced a step or two to meet her.
”Well, dear,” said Jasper in a cheerful tone, ”am I to come in, and am I to be welcome?”
”You are to come in,” said Sylvia. ”I have made up my mind. I have been preparing your room all day. If he finds it out I dare not think what will happen. But come-do come; I am ready and waiting for you.”
”I thought you would be. I can fetch the rest of my things to-morrow.
Can we slip into my room now?”
”We can. Come at once.-Pilot, remember that this lady is our friend.-One moment, please, Jasper; I must be quite certain that Pilot does not do you an injury.-Pilot, give your right paw to this lady.”
Pilot looked anxiously from Jasper to Sylvia; then, with a deliberate movement, and a great expression of condescension on his face, he did extend his right paw. Jasper took it.
”Kiss him now just between his eyes,” said Sylvia.
”Good gracious, child! I never kissed a dog in my life.”
”Kiss him as you value your future safety. You surely do not want to be a prisoner at The Priory!”
”Heaven forbid!” said Jasper. ”What I want to do, and what I mean to do, is to parade before her ladys.h.i.+p just where her ladys.h.i.+p cannot touch me. She could turn me out of every house in the place, but not from here. I do not want to keep it any secret from her ladys.h.i.+p that I am staying with you, Miss Sylvia.”
”We can talk of that afterwards,” said Sylvia. ”Come into the house now.”
The two turned, the dog accompanying them. They pa.s.sed through the heavy iron gates and walked softly up the avenue.
”What a close, dismal sort of place!” said Jasper.
”Please-please do not speak so loud; father may overhear us.”
”Then mum's the word,” said the woman.
”Step on the gra.s.s here, please.”
Jasper did exactly as Sylvia directed her, and the result was that soon the two found themselves in as empty a kitchen as Jasper had ever beheld in the whole course of her life.
”Sakes, child!” she cried, ”is this where you cook your meals?”
”The kitchen does quite well enough for our requirements,” said Sylvia in a low tone.
”And where are you going to put me?”
”In this room. I think in the happy days when the house was full this room must have been used as the servants' hall. See, there is a nice fireplace, with a good fire in it. I have drawn down the blinds, and I have put thick curtains-the only thick curtains we possess-across the windows. There are shutters too. If my father does walk abroad he cannot see any light through this window. But I am sorry to say you can have a fire only at night, for he would be very angry if he saw the smoke ascending in the daytime.”
”Hard lines! But I suppose, as I made the offer, I must abide by it,”
said Jasper. ”The room looks bare but well enough. It is clean, I suppose?”
”It is about as clean as I can make it,” said Sylvia, with a dreary sigh.