“No, I’m sure he would not,” said Tom; and just then his uncle returned.
“Going to walk part of the way with me, Tom?” said Uncle Richard.
“I’m going to walk all the way with you, uncle, and carry your bag,” said Tom; and ten minutes later they were on the road, chatting about the telescope, and the next things to be done, so that the long walk to the station was made to seem short. Then the train came steaming in, and Uncle Richard stepped into his compartment.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to come, uncle, and tell him I forgive him again?” whispered Tom, as he handed in the little black bag.
“Certain. I’ll give your message. Good-bye.”
The train glided away, and Tom started back for home with his mind busy for a few minutes over the scene at Mornington Crescent; and then thoughts flew on to the mill and into the future, when perhaps some far greater telescope would be mounted, and nights occupied searching the heavens.
Then Tom’s thoughts came back to earth, and Pete Warboys’ hole under the great pine-tree, and he was still busy over that, and the great gipsy-like boy’s habits,—poaching, probably stealing, and making himself a nuisance to everybody,—when he caught sight of the lad himself peering into a patch of coppice evidently watching something, that something proving to be the dog, which soon after leaped out into the road.
Tom’s footsteps had been silenced by the soft green turf which margined the way, so that he was close up to the lad before he was noticed, and then Pete gave a bound and shot into the coppice, followed by his dog; but once more the dog turned back to give him a friendly bark.
“After no good, or he wouldn’t have rushed away like that,” thought Tom, as he went on, reached the cottage feeling very little the worse for his long morning’s walk, and meaning to go up and busy himself in the laboratory; but to his surprise Mrs Fidler stopped him.
“Don’t go away, Master Tom; it’s close to one o’clock, and lunch will be ready. We will have regular dinner at seven, when your uncle comes back.”