“Is it possible?” she asked, in the same low voice in which he spoke, and took his hand. The touch assured her.
“Yes, yes! I am ready; oh, thank you, thank you!”
Charley helped her to rise, and to step softly across the room. He then got through the window, and holding on, as only a sailor or a cat could, to nothing, helped her through and lifted her down to Tom, who couldn’t refrain from giving her a hearty kiss in his joy at recovering her. Charley then put on his shoes, and dropped noiselessly to the ground. “They brought me here without shoes, and would give me none for fear I should run away,” she whispered; “but I will try to walk without them.”
“Not for worlds, Margery,” answered Charley. “We’ll carry you all the way, never fear.”
“Aye, aye, Miss Margery,” said Tom; “I’ve carried you many a mile when you was a baby and you was no heavier than a feather, and I’ve still strength left in my old arms to carry you now that you are a young lady nearly grown, I may say.”
Margery could only murmur her thanks, as Tom bore her in his arms across the garden and down the hill at a rapid rate, Charley bringing up the rear, and ready to do battle should they be pursued.
Polly had so far proved faithful, and Charley hoped sincerely that the part she had played in the affair might not be discovered by her associates. Still, he cast many an anxious glance behind him as they descended the steep, rough hill side, lest any of the smugglers should have been aroused, and have come in pursuit. Their chief difficulty was to find the way; but they guessed pretty correctly the direction of the Tower, the moon still affording them the assistance of her light. They did not even stop to rest, Tom declaring that Miss Margery was still almost as light as a feather, if not quite as light as when she was a baby. They had thus made good progress, when Charley said that he heard footsteps.
“May be,” answered Tom; “but they must be stout fellows who will dare to take our Miss Margery from us.”
“I am not at all afraid of anybody now,” said Margery. “I am sure, Charley, that you and Tom would not let them take me from you.” Charley of course promised that no one should, and as they did not believe that any smugglers would venture to interfere with them, should any be met, they continued their course. However, before they had gone much further, two very suspicious-looking personages overtook them and asked various questions, as to whence they had come and where they were going.
“Easily answered, mates,” said Tom; “we are coming from the place we last stopped at, and we are going home, and our business is nobody else’s, do ye see?”