"Come along, then, my girl."
I settled my account with the landlord before I left, and then, accompanied by his daughter, a girl of fourteen, we walked to Deering Woods.
"There!" said she, "keep on this track and it will take you right through the woods till you reach the road for Glasserton. When you come to two tracks keep to the left."
The directions she gave were clear, and I made her happy with the promised half-a-crown.
"How far do the woods extend?" I asked.
"You'll have to walk six or seven miles," she replied, "before you get out of 'em--and mind you take care of the cliffs. They're dangerous."
"We shall see them, I suppose, before we come on them?"
"Oh, you'll see 'em right enough, but nobody goes nearer to 'em than they can help."
She stood looking after us till thick clusters of trees hid us from her sight.
"Step out, Sophy," I said, "we've got a long walk before us."