“The police are trying hard to find out how it was. If they could find the girl it would be easy.”
I was just going to say, “Here she is, sir!” when I happened to glance at Linny, who was pale as ashes, and stood holding up her hand to me to be silent.
This confused me so that I hardly understood what the surgeon said, only that he wanted a stronger and more mature person to attend to Revitts; but when I told him that the landlady came up to help he was satisfied, and left, saying that he should come in again. He was no sooner gone than Linny caught me by the arm.
“Oh, what an escape!” she cried; “Antony, you know how wilful and cruel I have been to poor Steve?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding my head.
“And you know how I have promised him that I will always do as he wishes?”
“Yes, I know that too,” I said; “and I hope you will.”
“I will—indeed I will, Antony,” she wailed; “but please promise me, pray promise me, that no one shall ever know besides us that it was I whom Mr Revitts here—a—protected.”
“But the wretch of a fellow who behaved so badly to you, and beat poor Revitts like this, ought to be punished.”
“No, no—no, no?” she cried excitedly; “let it all pass now, Antony—dear Antony, for my sake.”