“Free! free!” she murmured. “Free in spite of her! She will see how I have gone. Oh, won’t she rage? What fun! It is almost worth the misery of the last half-hour to have escaped as I have done.”
There was no one now to watch the little culprit as she stole across the grass. She ran up to the stile where Jasper was still waiting for her.
“My darling,” said Jasper, “how late you are! I was just going back; I had given you up.”
“Kiss me, Jasper,” said Evelyn. “Hug me and love me and carry me a bit of the way in your strong arms; and, oh! be quick—be very quick—for we must hide, you and I, where no one can ever, ever find us. Oh Jasper, Jasper, I have had such a time!”
It was not Jasper’s way to say much in moments of emergency. She took Evelyn up, wrapped her warm fur cloak well round the little girl, and proceeded as quickly as she could in the direction of The Priory. Evelyn laid her head on her faithful nurse’s shoulder, and a ray of warmth and comfort visited her miserable little soul.
“Oh, I am lost but for you!” she murmured once or twice. “How I hate England! How I hate Aunt Frances! How I hate the horrid, horrid school, and even Audrey! But I love you, darling, darling Jasper, and I am happy once more.”
“You are not lost with me, my little white Eve,” said Jasper. “You are safe with me; and I tell you what it is, my sweet, you and I will part no more.”
“We never, never will,” said the little girl with fervor; and she clasped Jasper still more tightly round the neck.
But notwithstanding all Jasper’s love and good-will, the little figure began to grow heavy, and the way seemed twice as long as usual; and when Evelyn begged and implored of her nurse to hurry, hurry, hurry, poor Jasper’s heart began to beat in great thumps, and finally she paused, and said with panting breath:
“I must drop you to the ground, my dearie, and you must run beside me, for I have lost my breath, pet, and I cannot carry you any farther.”