“No; and I say— Oh!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Don’t I want my breakfast.”
“Yes; it must be nearly time. Come up and have some with me.”
Fred shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Your father did not seem to want me there last night.”
“Nonsense!”
“Oh no, it was not. You come home with me. What’s that?”
Scarlett listened, for there was a rustling and crashing noise, as of some animal forcing its way down through the hazel stubs to get to the edge of the lake to drink.
They waited breathlessly as the sounds grew nearer, and then stopped. The silence only lasted a minute, and then plainly enough came a familiar voice.