“We must manage to bring you something, Fred. You cannot stir from here.”
Fred had taken the key out, having returned it to his pocket in the night when he locked himself in. He sat looking at it as he balanced it on his finger.
“Yes, you have served me in good need,” he said to the key. “I shall turn out for a stroll during some quiet hour of the night, Johnny. To keep my restless legs curbed indoors for a whole day and night would be quite beyond their philosophy.”
“Well, take care of yourself, if you do. There’s not a soul in the place but is wild for the reward; and I dare say they will look for you by night more than by day. How about getting you in something to eat?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “It would never do for you to be seen coming in here at night.”
I knew that. Old Bumford would be down on me if no one else was. I sat turning over possibilities in my mind.
“I will come in betimes to-morrow morning under the plea of practising, Fred, and bring what I can. You must do battle with your hunger until then.”
“I suppose I must, Johnny. Mind you lock the door when you come in, or old Bumford might pounce upon us. When I heard you unlock it on coming in this evening, I can tell you I shivered in my shoes. Fate is very hard,” he added, after a pause.
“Fate is?”
“Why, yes. I have been a bit wild lately, perhaps, savage too, but I declare before Heaven that I have committed no crime, and did not mean to commit any. And now, to have this serious thing fastened upon my back! The world will say I have gone straight over to Satan.”