John turned.
“The rogue!” he laughed. “But, all the same, I am enormously in his debt.”
They made their way back along the river bank. Eyes were still alert, ears open to any sound. But there was no longer the same anxiety, the same foreboding. Doubtless the storm had been, in a measure, responsible for both. Physical conditions have a way of intermingling themselves so closely with mental conceptions, that you are really at a loss to separate the two. Indeed, you don’t attempt to separate them; you don’t perceive the physical conditions as existent, you perceive only the mental conceptions. Hence arises depression, that slate-grey state of the soul, in which the mind puts on black spectacles, and through them views the world in general, and its friends in particular.
Now, with the fresh breeze fanning their faces, with the world around them emerald green, silver, blue, and gold, with, above all, declared love singing joyously in their hearts, the two viewed the prospect through the most rose-coloured spectacles imaginable. Tragedy, even the remotest hint of tragedy, seemed unthinkable, impossible.
Doubtless you, also, will be of their way of thinking.
CHAPTER XLVIII
IN SEARCH
Strictly speaking the discovery of the truant was due to Mrs. Trimwell. David and Elizabeth were merely her agents in the matter.
It came about in this way.
They had set off hot-foot on the search. Passing the White Cottage, they had seen Mrs. Trimwell at the garden gate. She greeted their approach with eagerness. It was obvious that she had certain information to impart, information which she considered of the first importance. Therefore, with politely restrained impatience, they paused to hear it.
“Them two,” she announced, with a faint trace of injury in her voice, and meaning John and Rosamund, “was gone before I could as much as get a word in edgeways, else I’d have given them a notion on the matter. You mark my words there ain’t never no mischiefness nor troublesomeness afoot but what Molly Biddulph ain’t at the bottom of it. Find Molly and you’ll be finding the little master.”