“You suppose he has by this time? Pina, Pina! that is not what you said before. Pina, what do you mean? You surely said his father had him!”
“I said Mr. Lyon was at the bottom of it, ma’am—at the bottom of little Lenny’s being carried off, I mean—and I stand to it, as he was!”
“Oh, Heaven! did not his father carry him off, then?”
“No, ma’am; not with his own hands, but he was at the bottom of it—I say it, and I stand to it!”
“Merciful Heaven! if his father did not carry him off who then did? Girl, girl! do you know how you torture me? I thought at first my Lenny had been lost by straying away from you; then you said his father was concerned in his disappearance: now you say his father did not take him? In the name of Mercy, who did? Speak—for the Lord’s sake, speak quickly?”
“Oh, ma’am, I will—I will tell you all I know, but don’t, don’t look so—don’t, ma’am, or you’ll kill me!” sobbed Pina.
“Tell who took the child then!” said Anna, speaking sternly and stamping her foot.
“I don’t know who did!” burst, amid sobs, from Pina’s lips.
Drusilla stifled the shrieks that were ready to burst from her lips.
“You don’t know who did! Why, then, did you accuse Lord Killcrichtoun?” demanded Anna.