She went down to Miss Lydia again and sat beside her at the top of the first flight of stairs.
“The tree will do splendidly,” whispered Molly. Then she told her companion what she had planned to do. “And I want you to help me, if you will, Miss Lydia.” She paused. “I’m going to ask you to do a very plucky thing. In half an hour’s time I want you to draw the bolts of the back door and walk out into the garden.”
Miss Lydia was startled.
“I know it seems a dreadfully hard thing to ask you to do,” Molly went on hurriedly. “But I believe it is the only way out of our difficulties. For the sake of every one who has suffered through the Pumpkin, for my sake, for your own sake, will you take the risk, Miss Lydia? In the end, it may be the means of restoring your sight, you know.”
They talked in whispers for a while.
“And you don’t think it’s any good waiting?—in case some help comes?” asked Miss Lydia wistfully.
“Not a bit of good, I’m afraid,” said Molly gently. “It’s very unlikely that help will come—I think we must rely only on ourselves.”
“Then I won’t fail you,” said Miss Lydia.
They sat there, talking occasionally, until dusk fell. Then Molly went into Miss Lydia’s bedroom, and cautiously opened the window and looked out. There appeared to be no one watching this side of the house; if there was any one, it was too dark to see them, and so they would not be able to see her, Molly thought. She had strapped her little pocket satchel firmly across her shoulders, and just inside, where she could easily reach it, was Old Nancy’s box of matches.
Fortunately there was a slight breeze blowing, so that any rustling of the trees, unless unusually loud, would not attract attention. Molly got out on to the window sill, and from there climbed as noiselessly as possible into the tree. Molly had had a good deal of experience in tree-climbing now, nevertheless she was trembling as she lowered herself down to the branches nearest the ground; it was not a nice sensation climbing down, when you didn’t know what was at the bottom. She waited for a while, and listened, peering out from among the leaves. Nothing stirred in the garden below.