"And when are you goin' away?" asked Marie.
"Don't know, missis," said Tad, "and what's more I must get to my work now." And he turned away and joined Mother Sophie, helping her to scour some pots and pans down by the brookside.
The foregoing conversation Tad repeated to Phil that night, adding, "Now you see, Phil, what I said was true. A woman like that won't part with the little 'un willin' and free, and I'll never get him at all unless I take him and French leave at one and the same time. After this talk as have passed betwixt me and Marie, what say you now?"
"Just what I said afore, Tad. It's no use doin' wrong to bring about what we want to happen. Cheatin' and story-tellin' and stealin' and deceivin' is wicked, and sooner or later people gets paid out that does them things, no matter what the reason is."
"There you go again!" grunted Tad.
"Tad, dear, don't turn away lookin' so vexed. I want to help you; I will help you, if you'll let me. Let me have a talk with Marie and tell her your story, and how you've been hunted about just because of the child. I can't help thinkin' she'll be sorry for you, and let you have the little 'un, or what would be better, let you go with her on the steamer when she starts for Southampton to go back to her husband. Shall I tell—?"
"It's no use, Phil!" cried Tad. "If you'd seen her face to-day when she spoke of the baby, you'd never believe she could change."
"Well," persisted Phil, "s'posin' she won't listen to us, still maybe Father Jacques and Mother Sophie would. We did a foolish thing, Tad, not to say all we knowed, when we heard the old folks tellin' what Marie had written in her letter. If we'd spoke of it there and then, and they'd heard your story, they'd have been on our side now—maybe."
"Well, well," said Tad impatiently, "that's bygones—that is! What's the use of thinkin' about it?"
"If Marie don't give up the baby here, she could be made to in England," said Phil. "Why don't you write to your dad, as soon as we know when she's goin' back? Tell him she's got the child, and he'll take care of the rest."