"Would you like to take her to Graden
House?"
"Thank you," replied I; "I shall try to get her to the minister at Graden
Wester."
The prow of the boat here grated on the beach, and a sailor jumped ashore
with a line in his hand.
"Wait a minute, lads!" cried Northmour; and then lower and to my private
ear, "You had better say nothing of all this to her," he added.
"On the contrary!" I broke out, "she shall know everything that I can
tell."
"You do not understand," he returned, with an air of great dignity. "It
will be nothing to her; she expects it of me. Good-by!" he added, with a
nod.
I offered him my hand.
"Excuse me," said he. "It's small, I know; but I can't push things quite
so far as that. I don't wish any sentimental business, to sit by your
hearth a white-haired wanderer, and all that. Quite the contrary: I hope
to God I shall never again clap eyes on either one of you."
"Well, God bless you, Northmour!" I said heartily.
"Oh, yes," he returned.
He walked down the beach; and the man who was ashore gave him an arm on
board, and then shoved off and leaped into the bows himself. Northmour
took the tiller; the boat rose to the waves, and the oars between the
tholepins sounded crisp and measured in the morning air.
They were not yet half way to the "Red Earl," and I was still watching
their progress, when the sun rose out of the sea.
Pages:
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290