Part 76 (2/2)
”Well, Walford,” said he, ”what has brought you back so soon? Has anything miscarried?”
”Not as I knows on, Master capten. Only as bein' an early bird this mornin' I ha' picked up the early wurum.”
”Ah! what mean you by that?”
”I gin it to her.”
”Gin it to her? What, and to whom?”
”The packidge--to the young lady.”
”What, you don't say that you have seen--”
”Mistress Marion? Sartintly I do, Master capten. Seed her; gied her the packidge; an' sayed, what you told me to say.”
”When? Where?”
”For the first--it han't been gone a half-hour since the words pa.s.sed out o' my mouth; and as to the where, that war 'bout a mile from heear-- on the wood road as runs from the Park to Stone Dean.”
”She there at this hour? You must be mistaken, my man?”
”No mistake about it, Master capten; I seed her, and spoke to her, as you bid me. I've seed her a many a time along that road. It be a favourite ride wi' her; but she bean't a horseback this mornin'. She be afut.”
”And alone, you say?”
”Sartinly, Master: else how could I ha' gied her the packidge? You told me to let no one see me handin' it to her.”
”This is strange,” muttered Scarthe to himself. ”You are sure there was no one near her?”
”I seed ne'er a creetur.”
”What was she doing?”
”Nothin', Capten; only standing under a tree--the big beech as grows in the middle o' the road. I went up to her pretty quick, lest she might gi' me the slip. After I put the packidge in her hand, and sayed what you told me, I coomed directly away.”
”You left her there?”
”Left her, just as I found her--under the big beech.”
”And you met no one, as you returned along the road?”
”Neither met nor pa.s.sed a sinner.”
”You think she may be there still? You say you came direct?”
”Straight as the road 'ud let me, Capten. I won't say she be theear still--that are, under the tree; but she ain't got home as yet: for I coomed as fast as my legs 'ud carry me. I knew you didn't want me seen about here, and thought I would be safest to coom up afore the sarvints were stirrin'. She beean't got home yet, nor half o' the way--even supposin' she set off right after me.”
”The road to Stone Dean, you say?”
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