“I’d bite my tongue off first! Sure I have proved as much!”
“Yes. I always believed that you knew more than you chose to tell of her first escape from Allworth Abbey. Well, Tabitha, listen now. I have an order to visit Eudora to take a final farewell of her this evening. I have, also, in my own mind, a plan for rescuing her even at this late hour—”
“Lord, Miss Annella! what ever can that be, and could you ever carry it through—and wouldn’t the law punish you if you did?” inquired Tabitha, earnestly.
“I cannot tell you—it is enough for you to know that I shall go to visit her this evening, but my visit to the prison must not be known—my absence from this house must not even be suspected, lest it lead to discovery; therefore, Tabitha, you must let me out the back way; and you must remain in this room, and if anybody comes to inquire after me, put them off with some excuse; and at night go out and lock the door after you, so that no one can get into the room and miss me. And when you come up again, bring a basin of gruel, as if I had need of it. Ask leave to sleep in my room to take care of me to-night; but on no account let any one else come in. You understand this, Tabitha?”
“Every word of it, Miss Annella.”
“Well, now hear my last words of all. After the family have all retired, and the house is quiet, and everybody is asleep, steal out of this room, lock the door behind you, and bring away the key, and creep down stairs and out of the house, and watch for me at the lower park gate. Can you do this?”
“Surely, Miss Annella.”
“But you look frightened already.”
“It is enough to frighten one, but I’ll do it.”
“And now, what are they all about down-stairs?”