"Just now I am a poor little reprobate," she sighed ever so miserably.
"You are very good. I'll not forget."
"I'll not permit you to forget," he said eagerly.
"Isn't the housekeeper a long time in coming?" she asked quickly. He
laughed contentedly.
"We've no reason to worry about her. It's the pursuers from Bazelhurst
that should trouble us. Won't you tell me the whole story?" And she
told him everything, sitting there beside him with a hot drink in her
hand and a growing shame in her heart. It was dawning upon her with
alarming force that she was exposing a hitherto unknown incentive. It
was not a comfortable awakening. "And you champion me to that extent?"
he cried joyously. She nodded bravely and went on.
"So here I am," she said in conclusion. "I really could not have
walked to Ridgely to-night, could I?"
"I should say not."
"And there was really nowhere else to come but here?" dubiously.
"See that light over there--up the mountain?" he asked, leading her
to a window. "Old man Grimes and his wife live up there. They keep a
light burning all night to scare Renwood's ghost away. By Jove, the
storm will be upon us in a minute. I thought it had blown around us."
The roll of thunder came up the valley. "Thank heaven, you're safe
indoors. Let them pursue if they like. I'll hide you if they come, and
the servants are close-mouthed."
"I don't like the way you put it, Mr. Shaw."
"Hullo, hullo--the house," came a shout from the wind-ridden night
outside.
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