Part 64 (2/2)

”Yes, sir; but more so to stay where I feel that we are not welcome.”

”But you are welcome, my lads, as visitors. Is not your friend and leader very unreasonable, young man?” he continued, turning suddenly to Esau; and I listened eagerly in dread, lest he should be won over to ask for shelter for the night.

”Not a bit,” said Esau, with a scowl. ”He's all right, and knows what's best, and always did. If it hadn't been for him I should have been stupid enough to have gone for a soldier.”

”Indeed!”

”Yes, indeed!” cried Esau; ”and I tried all I could to get him to go too, only he knew better. Now then, Mr Gordon, I'm 'bout tired of talking. When you're ready, I am.”

He moved toward the door and I followed him, having no words to say for the moment; but as I reached the door they came, and I faced around to see Mr Raydon's clear eyes fixed upon me.

”Good-bye, sir,” I said, ”and thank you. When Mr John and dear Mrs John come, don't scold them and talk to them as you have to me. It would only upset her, and she is sure to be still very delicate. Tell them I have gone to make a start for myself, and as soon as I am doing well I shall try and write to her. Good-bye.”

”Good-bye,” said Esau, defiantly; and he put his hands in his pockets, began to whistle, and turned to me, to point to the head of a mountain sheep with enormous curled horns.

”Pretty good load for a thing to carry,” he said, as we reached the door.

”Stop!”

That word seemed to cut its way into our brains, it sounded so fierce and sharp, and its effect was to make us both face round wonderingly, and look inquiringly at the speaker.

”I should have thought, sir, that it would have been more decent if you had offered to shake hands with your host before you went.”

”I beg your pardon, sir,” I said, holding out my hand. ”Good-night-- good-bye!”

His large firm long fingers closed tightly on mine, and held my hand prisoned so hardly that he gave me a good deal of pain.

”One minute, my lad,” he said. ”Your father and mother were both English, were they not?”

The mention of them made me wince.

”Both dead, I think my sister said?”

”Yes,” I said huskily, and I tried to drag my hand away, but he held it fast.

”So you are true English?” he said; ”and a pretty opinion you have of your fellow-countryman.”

”I--I don't understand you, sir.”

”To think after you have struggled up here so pluckily, and in so manly a way, he would be such an inhuman brute as to let you go.”

”Mr Raydon!” I cried, huskily.

”And your friend, my lad, I hope, for my sister's sake and your own too, if you justify the impression you have made. There, you came to me quite a stranger, and I wanted to see whether you had the manliness and courage to refuse to stay, and I know that you have both, and would have gone back. Come,” he said, pressing my hand warmly, ”let what has pa.s.sed during the past few minutes go. Sit here for a bit, both of you.

To-morrow we'll have a chat over what is to be done.”

He smiled at me, gave Esau a nod, and went out.

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