The end had already begun; Mount rose lightly to his feet and drew the girl with him, turning her quietly by the shoulders and looking straight into her eyes.
"Why do you follow me?" he asked, coolly.
The colour left her face; her eyes flew wide open with fright.
"I shall not hurt you, little fool," he said; "I had rather your father, the thief-taker, took me, than harm you. Yes, I am that same Jack Mount. You are poor; they will pay you for compassing my arrest. Come, shall we seek your father, Billy Bishop, the taker of thieves?"
He drew her towards the gate, but she fell a-whimpering and caught his arm, hiding her face in his buckskin sleeve.
Disgusted, I waited a moment, then turned my back and walked out into the sunshine, where I paced to and fro, until at last Mount joined me, wearing a scowl.
As we turned away together I glanced into the arbour and saw our lass of the ribbons still sitting at the table with her head buried in her arms and her pink shell-hat on the grass.
As for Mount, he said nothing except that, though he no longer feared the girl, he meant, hereafter, to trust to his heels in similar situations.
"It might be less irksome," said I, curling my lip.
"Ay; yet she has a pretty face, and a plump neck, too."