The child looked at her earnestly for a moment, and then said, pulling her by her sleeve,
“Don’t, don’t. They won’t hurt you—will they? Uncle told me he was going to marry you, and that I must give up my room to you, and go and sleep in the barn, for tonight, anyhow. If you don’t like uncle, you needn’t marry him, need you? I thought people only married when they liked each other.”
“You cannot understand it all, my child,” answered Kate, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “But listen! I don’t want to marry your uncle. I never will marry him. They brought me here by force, or I’d never have come. If you don’t let me go, I’ll not live till night; and you’ll see me dead here, before your eyes.”
The child started back with a sudden shriek, which she stifled as hastily, looking in terror towards the house; and then, taking Kate’s hand, she drew her away within the shadow of the barn. Here, pausing, she said,
“You don’t mean it. They’ll not kill you?”
“As sure as there is a good God above us,” answered Kate, solemnly, “if you don’t let me go, I’ll not be alive to-morrow. There is no help for it. While, if you do let me go,” she continued, eager to take advantage of the favorable chance, “nobody will know you helped me. In fact, you won’t help me; you’ll only keep Lion quiet; and if they were to know you helped me, they couldn’t harm you, innocent child that you are. If your mother was alive, she’d wish you to let me go. You know I wouldn’t tell a lie, darling, or I’d have tried still to get you to go with me, in spite of your promise to your mother. Every minute is precious. It will soon be daybreak. Only keep Lion quiet, leave me to myself, and go back to your bed in the barn.”
“You shall go,” suddenly said the child. “I’ll go inside, and take Lion with me.”
“God bless you!” cried Kate, seizing her in her arms and kissing her again and again. “If I escape, and you ever want a friend, you’ll always have one, if you ask for Miss Aylesford, of Sweetwater.”
“Good-bye,” said the child, timidly returning the kisses. “Take the road in front, and keep straight ahead. Only,” she added, “when you come to the big cedar, past the log bridge, a mile off, you must turn to the right.”
“I will, I will,” breathlessly said Kate, but, in her hurry and excitement, paying less heed to the direction than she ought. “Again God bless you!”