Fantasy fiction; Siblings -- Juvenile fiction; Twins -- Juvenile fiction
As they gazed down from the hill one of the guards told Molly the
quickest way back to the East Gate of the City. If she followed the
High Road, which was dimly visible far below, for about a mile she
would come to a lane with a sign-post which said, ‘To the Orange
Wood.’ Go to the bottom of this lane, over a little bridge across the
river, and then along another lane which skirted the wood, and she
would find herself in the village at the edge of the Goblin’s Heath.
Back over the Heath was the shortest way then. But she would save
several miles by going along the High Road at first.
Molly was very pleased to hear of this short cut, as she had not
thought of looking up her map yet; and so, being very anxious to reach
Old Nancy, Molly and Miss Lydia, who had determined to return with her,
said good-bye to the guards and started off down the hillside, followed
by the two Pumpkins.
As they went along Molly insisted on Miss Lydia, who looked very tired
and exhausted, having two of the little brown square sweets that Old
Nancy had given her; and she ate two herself. After a few minutes
both she and Miss Lydia felt much refreshed, and fit for the journey
in front of them. It was strange and delightful to Molly to know that
there was nothing now to be afraid of; no more dodging and hiding and
distrusting everybody.
When they neared the bottom of the hill, they caught sight of a figure
emerging from a wood on the opposite side of the High Road. The person
stood gazing up at the blazing beacon, spellbound; then all at once
gave a whoop of joy and did a sort of step-dance in the road.
“Oh!” cried Molly, delighted. “It is—its Glan!”
And Glan it was, sure enough. He raced to meet them as soon as he saw
the little party moving down.
“So it _is_ you, little lady. You’ve done it, after all!” he shouted,
as he came toward them. “Well done, well done!” and he seized Molly’s
hand and shook it till he nearly shook it off. “But where’s your
brother?” he asked, noting, with puzzled eyes, the two Pumpkins.
Molly told him what had happened to Jack, as they all moved onward to
the High Road; and then she went on to explain where she found the
Black Leaf, and how bravely Miss Lydia had acted.
“Madam, I’m proud to meet you,” said Glan, shaking hands with Miss
Lydia. “If I had only known, I could have come to your aid. I was not
so far away, finishing searching that wood, which is my boundary; you
remember, I mentioned that part of my search-ground joined yours,” he
turned to Molly, “but, of course, I knew nothing, till I saw that blaze
in the sky,” he waved his hand toward the beacon. “You’re not worrying
about your brother, are you, little lady?” he inquired, peering
anxiously at Molly. “Don’t do that. Old Nancy will soon put things
right, I feel sure.”
As they went along he told them some of his adventures, and the narrow
escapes he had had from being caught by the spies; his ‘poor old
Father’ had been nearly caught once also.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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