“Safe—escaped, Berry,” said Lady Gowan, in a voice full of exultation.
“Safe—escaped, my lady!” cried the woman, with the light of exultation rising now in her countenance. “Then let them batter the house down, the wretches. I don’t care now.”
“But, Berry, listen. Sir Robert is out of their reach by now; but they must not know that he has been here.”
“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the woman wildly; “they won’t get anything out of me. What! me tell ’em that my dear young master, whom I nursed when he wasn’t half the size of Master Frank—tell ’em he has been here! I’d sooner have my tongue cut out.”
“But the girl—the girl?”
“What her, my lady?” said the housekeeper contemptuously. “Oh, they’ll get nothing out of her to-night but shrieks, and nothing now, for she’s shruck herself hoarse and speechless.”
“Ah!” sighed Lady Gowan, “then now I can feel at rest. Come up, Frank.”
She led the way to the staircase, and hurried on to the drawing-room, with the massive front door being broken piecemeal by the heavy sledge-hammer; but each chain and bolt still held, and there was no way in yet but for light and noise, so that, before they gave way, Frank had time to get a light and ignite the candles in two sets of branches in the drawing-room which they had entered and then fastened the door.
This done, he turned in surprise to see that his mother had thrown back her hood, rearranged her hair, and was standing there before him flushed, but proud and perfectly calm.
“Oh, mother!” he cried, stepping up to her and kissing her. “I can’t help it. Drew is right. I am so proud of you.”