“But, sir, my mist’ess don’t see no visitors of no sort, neither strangers nor likewise acquaintances,” urged Leo.
“But she’ll see us!” laughed the man on the box. And his laugh was loudly echoed by his companions inside the hack.
During this controversy Drusilla had sat back in her seat, keeping as much out of sight as possible, and only leaning forward when obliged to speak to her servant.
And Leo had been artfully manœuvering his horses, with a purpose that the party behind were too much confused by intoxication to detect.
“Come, my man, get out of the way, will you?”
“Yes sir, immediate!” answered Leo.
And he suddenly wheeled round the carriage, clanged to the gate, and secured it in the face of the baffled pursuers.
Then with a loud derisive laugh, the boy sprang up into his seat and drove off through the woods towards home.
The discomfited party in the hack sent after him a volley of oaths, that he continued to hear until distance made them inaudible.
When they reached Cedarwood, Drusilla got out of her carriage more dead than alive.