“He has escaped.” His voice was the smallest whisper. “And now my time has come.”
“When? And where do you go?”
“To-night, and to join Carbourd, if I can, at the Pascal River. At King Ovi’s Cave, if possible.”
The girl was very pale. She turned and looked at Angers, who still slept. “And then?”
“And then, as I have said to you before, to the coast, to board the Parroquet, which will lie off the island Saint Jerome three days from now to carry us away into freedom. It is all arranged by our ‘Underground Railway.’”
“And you tell me all this—why?” the girl said falteringly.
“Because you said that you would not let a hunted fugitive starve; that you would give us horses, with which we could travel the Brocken Path across the hills. Here is the plan of the river that you drew; at this point is the King’s Cave which you discovered, and is known only to yourself.”
“I ought not to have given it to you; but—”
“Ah, you will not repent of a noble action, of a great good to me—Marie?”
“Hush, monsieur. Indeed, you may not speak to me so. You forget. I am sorry for you; I think you do not deserve this—banishment; you are unhappy here; and I told you of the King’s Cave-that was all.”