Part 12 (1/2)
”Come, old fellow, wake up,” said Waller. ”I have been up two hours.”
”Up two hours! I--there's nothing wrong, is there?”
”Wrong? No. You are always thinking some one's coming after you. It's all right.”
”But I don't understand,” said G.o.dfrey.
”Why, you don't mean to say you've forgotten all about last night?”
”Last night!” cried the lad, with a start.
”Oh, I had forgotten. No; I was not quite awake. You have been up early to go and get that rope.”
Waller pointed to the big, old easy chair.
”Does seem like it, doesn't it? There it is, all soaked with dew. I soon got it down, and I have been busy over the bed. You had trampled it terribly, and there were two great bits of ivy snapped off as well and lying there. I've made it pretty tidy, and there has been such a heavy due that your footprints on the gra.s.s, and those of Joe Hanson, going round the house, are pretty well taken out. They'll be all right now, I think.”
”Oh, thank you,” cried G.o.dfrey, with a sigh; ”but now, I suppose, I must give up all hope of going into the woods with you again.”
”Nonsense! I only want you to wait till it's sensible to go.”
”Ah!” cried G.o.dfrey. ”I like to hear you talk so. Do you know, I was dreaming this morning about what you said the other day.”
”What was that?”
”About getting me down to Lymington, and on board a fis.h.i.+ng-boat.”
”And so I will.”
”Thank you. Then we will start to-night.”
”That we won't!” cried Waller. ”Stuff! Nonsense! I hear from our gardener that there are soldiers going about from place to place in the forest, and as likely as not we should run right up against them, for they would be sure to be keeping watch at night. You wait a bit, and as soon as I think it's safe, and we have made all our plans, we will go.
But don't you be in such a hurry. You are company for me, and I am sure my father wouldn't mind your staying on a while to get strong. I want to hear that the soldiers are gone, and then you will be like a visitor, and we will have a good time of it in the woods, fis.h.i.+ng, and collecting, and one thing and another.”
”No,” said the lad sadly; ”England is no place for me. I must get back to France.”
”You wait till you get better,” said Waller, ”and you will talk differently.”
”Oh, but I am putting you in such a false position. Your servants will be finding out that you have got me hidden here.”
”They'd better!” cried Waller hotly. ”What business is it of theirs? I am only answerable to my father.”
”And what will he say to you when he knows what you have done?”
”What will he say?” cried Waller enthusiastically. ”He'll say--he'll say--I don't know what,” and the boy stopped short.
Another day elapsed, and Waller was chatting eagerly with his prisoner, and planning with him that they should steal out as soon as it was dusk, and go and have a ramble in the woods.
”But it will be dark,” said Boyne wearily.