“I warn’t there! Warn’t I just? Why, the window scraped over my head and knocked my cap off as I bobbed down. There, it’s no use for you to pretend, Master Waller, so just you hand over that there fifty pounds.”
Waller was silent for a few moments, and his eyes wandered in all directions save that where the rough-looking woodman stood. At last, after drawing a deep breath, he said in a hoarse whisper:
“Come along this way.”
“Wheer to, lad?”
“Out in the woods.”
“Ar’n’t a-going to try and do for me so as to keep all the hundred pounds yourself, are you, Master Waller?” said the rough fellow, with a grin.
“No, of course not. I want to talk to you.”
“That’s right, lad. I wouldn’t try to do t’other, because you might get hurt, and I shouldn’t like to hurt you, Master Waller, because you have been a good friend to me, and I like you, lad, and I’m waiting to see you grow up into being the finest gentleman in these parts. You won’t never want to chivvy me out of the woods, I know.”
Waller uttered a low hiss, and hurried on in silence till they stood together among the nut stubs overshadowed by the spreading oaks, when he stopped short and faced round.
“You say you know that I shall never chivvy you out of the woods, Bunny; but you know wrong, for I should like to do it now.”