"You're forgetting your fishing-rod an'----"
"Bother the fishing-rod!" I exclaimed, and set off hurriedly in the direction Lisbeth had taken.
The Imp trotted beside me, stumbling frequently over his "trusty sword" and issuing numberless commands in a hoarse, fierce voice to an imaginary "band of outlaws." As for me, I strode on unheeding, for my mind was filled with a fast-growing suspicion that I had judged Lisbeth like a hasty fool.
In this manner we scoured the neighbourhood very thoroughly, but with no success. However, we continued our search with unabated ardour--along the river path to the water-stairs and from thence by way of the gardens to the orchard; but not a sign of Lisbeth. The shrubbery and paddock yielded a like result, and having interrogated Peter in the harness-room, he informed us that "Miss Helezabeth was hout along with Miss Dorothy."
At last, after more than an hour of this sort of thing, even the Imp grew discouraged and suggested "turning pirates."
Our wanderings had led by devious paths, and now, as luck would have it, we found ourselves beneath "the blasted oak."
We sat down very solemnly side by side, and for a long time there was silence.
"It's fine to make 'tyrants tremble,' isn't it, Uncle Dick?" said the Imp at last.
"Assuredly," I nodded.
"But I should have liked to kiss Auntie Lisbeth good-bye first, an' Dorothy an' Louise----"