“I shall go—” began Richard; then, insolently—“You won’t go and betray me, parson, will you?”
The vicar did not reply.
“I shall go and stay over at the works, mother,” said Richard.
“What!” exclaimed Mrs Glaire.
“Stay over at the works till the opening day. Let the brutes think I have left the town; and, with a few blankets and some provisions, I shall do. I’ll go over to-night.”
“But, Richard, this is folly,” cried Eve, beginning to tremble.
“You don’t know anything about it,” he said, sharply. “If the beasts mean mischief again, they’ll try to get me away from here, and most likely they are watching every train to catch me. If I slip over in the middle of the night, I shall be safe; for no one will think I am there. What do you say, parson?”
The vicar sat thinking for a few moments, and then gave in his acquiescence to the plan.
“But you must keep strictly in hiding,” he said.
“Well, it won’t be for long,” replied Richard; “and won’t be more dull than being in here.”