The miserable spy and informer, who had remained with his stick raised, turned white with passion, as he stood listening to the lad’s scathing words, and had either of the boys flinched he might have struck at them. As it was, he uttered a fierce imprecation, let the point of his stick drop to the ground, and turned away to hobble for a few steps, and, as if from habit, began to cough; but Andrew burst into a bitter laugh, and with a fierce oath the man turned again and shook his stick at him before ceasing his cough and walking sharply away, erect and vigorous as any.
“Well,” said Andrew, “do you think I insulted him too much?”
“Why, he is an impostor!”
“Pah! London swarms with his kind. They have sent many a good, true, and innocent man to Tyburn for the sake of blood-money—men whose only fault was that they believed James Francis to be our rightful king. Frank,” cried the lad passionately, “I can’t tell you how I loathe the reptiles. I knew that wretch directly; my father pointed him out to me as one to beware of. If he knew what we do, he would send my dear, brave father to the scaffold, and he is trying hard to send yours. Where’s your pity for the poor invalid now?”
“Oh!” ejaculated Frank excitedly, “can such things be true?”
“True? Why was he dogging us this morning? I can’t be sure, of course; but as likely as not it was upon his information that your poor father was almost taken last night, and your mother nearly broken-hearted this morning. Why, Frank, I never saw you look so fierce before. It’s all nonsense about my being two years older than you. You’ve overtaken and passed me, lad. I’m getting quite afraid of you.”
“Oh, don’t banter me now, Drew. I can’t bear it.”
“It’s only my spiteful tongue, Frank. I don’t banter you at heart. I’m in earnest. Only a short time ago I used to think I was as old as a man, and it was trouble about my father made me so. Now I can’t help seeing how trouble is altering you too. Don’t mind what I say, but I must say it. Some day you’ll begin to think that I am not so much to blame for talking as I do about our royal master.”
Frank drew a long, deep breath, and felt as if it might after all be possible.
“There, that’s enough for one morning,” cried Andrew merrily. “We’re only boys after all, even if I am such a queer fish. Let’s be boys again now. What do you say? I’ll race you round the end of the canal, and see who can get in first to breakfast.”