"Now come along with me, Peter," said Jack, when Mike had disappeared round a turning in the road.
"Come where?" I asked.
"Down to the sea," said Jack; "we can be there in three minutes across this field."
"Oh, no," I said. "I must go home now."
"Nonsense about going home!" he said. "That's the very thing you mustn't do! Your mistress will soon smell a rat if you go home now. She'll want to know why you've been so quick, and then it will all come out. Let us see, if you walked to Calvington, you could not be back here before two o'clock at the earliest; so we've two hours and a half, at least, to enjoy ourselves. I'll take you to the Robber's Cave. You've never seen it, have you?"
"No, never," I said. "I should like to see it very much; but I think I ought to go back."
"Don't be such a stupid!" said Jack, as he sprang over the stile which led into the field.
I knew I was doing wrong, and yet I followed him, for—I am ashamed to say—I was afraid of him. I could not bear to be laughed at, or to be called a fool or a stupid, so I did what my conscience told me, again and again, that I ought not to do.
Yet for a time all seemed very pleasant. I told conscience to be quiet, and made up my mind to enjoy myself till two o'clock.
It was cool and pleasant by the sea, and we had a bathe, and then we climbed along the cliff to the Robber's Cave. It was a very curious place, and we examined every nook and corner of it, and we sat inside it for some time, for it was so pleasant and refreshing to get out of the glare and heat of the sun.