“Not quite that’we told Mr. Fielding.”
“Oh, the parson! But everyone respects Mr. Puddicombe so much, that I think Jan and I will go to him first. You know, Kitty, we have settled it between us’I mean, Jan and I’on our way to Brimpts, and Mr. Puddicombe ought to know.”
CHAPTER XLI
TAKING SHAPE
It was evening when Kate was driven up to the Cellars, yet not so dark but that she could see the donkey in the paddock, and dark enough to make the glow of the still smoking heap visible, here and there, in red seams and yellow sparks.
“There is Neddy,” exclaimed Kate. “My father must be here.”
As she was descending from the cart, she said, “Why, he may have crossed the Teign in the boat.”
“No, Kitty,” answered Jan; “I don’t think that.”
“Why not?”
Pooke was afraid of answering lest he should involve himself; and Rose had jumped down at the mill, and so was not there to prevent him from committing an error.
Before entering the house, in her anxiety about her father, Kate ran to the mooring-place of the boats, and came back in some exultation to Jan. “I said so. He has crossed. The old boat is gone.”