"Would they hurt you?"
"No, they wudden; not waun ov 'em."
"Then go to Lizard Town yourself, and take the doctor to Tamsin, then
come back to your mother's house and tell me how Tamsin is."
"No," said Naomi's father; "you will come to Pennington and ask for him
there." This he said looking at me steadily.
"You do not know Richard Tresidder," I said.
"He will have me to deal with," he said quietly. "Jasper, that girl told
you the truth at the last. My child is taken there."
"I believe she is," I replied.
"I have felt it might be so all the day," he continued, "only the girl
seemed so sincere. Truly the heart of a woman is a strange thing."
Then we both fell to silence as we rode along, for I had much to think
about, and so, indeed, had he. At the time I did not think how eager he
must be to see his daughter, so filled was my own heart with longing,
but as I look back now I feel how little I understood his heart at that
time.
Just as daylight was dying we arrived at Pennington Gates. I must
confess to a strange feeling as I rode through them, for many things had
happened since I last rode to Pennington. Then I had come from Kynance,
and then, too, I had come to see my love.
"I will go first, Jasper," said Naomi's father quickly. "I would we were
more presentable, but up to a few days ago I had no hope of--but never
mind that. Our errand must explain the nature of our attire. You stand
behind me, and the servant may admit us."
He seemed to have forgotten all about the past, and spoke as though he
had a right to enter the house from which my father had been ejected.
On coming to the door I could hear that something of importance was
going on within. I heard the noise of many footsteps and the sound of
many voices. When the servant came to the door he did not seem to regard
us with surprise; nay, rather, he seemed to expect us. I afterward
discovered that he mistook us for some one else. The day had now nearly
gone, and thus in the shades of evening he did not see who we were.
"Will you come this way?" he said. "Mr. Tresidder is in the library, and
is expecting you."
Had I been alone I should have acted foolishly, so great was my surprise
at his words. But Mr. Penryn saw in a moment how things stood.
"Is she safe?" he asked the servant in a whisper, which I thought a very
foolish question, but a second later I saw how wise it was.
"The escaped nun?" said the man. "Yes, sir. She was carried from the
carriage to the snuggery. She's there now."
"Is she ill?"
"No, sir. She's kept quiet, that is all, sir."
"Thank you. Take us to your master."
The servant led the way without a word, and a few seconds later we stood
in the library, the servant closing the door behind us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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