Chapter Twenty Three.
More about the Ducks.
The news was all over the Palace the next morning; but before meeting Andrew Forbes, Frank hurried to his mother’s apartments, to find her dressed, but lying down, her maid saying that she was very ill, but that she would see Mr Gowan.
“I thought you would come, my boy,” said Lady Gowan, embracing him. “Oh, my darling, what a horrible night! Tell me again all about your father’s escape.”
“You’re not well enough, mother,” said the boy bluntly. “It will only agitate you more. Isn’t it enough that I helped him to get safe away without any accident?”
“Yes, yes, you are right,” said Lady Gowan. “But how rash, how mad of him to come! Frank, remember that you must not breathe a word about how it was that I was able to warn him.”
“I see,” said Frank; “it would make mischief.”
“And this has undone all that I was trying to do. He might have been forgiven in time; now we shall have to wait perhaps for years.”
“Then don’t let’s wait, mother. He says that we should have to suffer terribly if we shared his lot with him. But who cares? I shouldn’t a bit, and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind.”