Family life -- Juvenile fiction; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction
Having heard at Warren's Grove of a purse, it never occurred to him to
expect money in any other way. No trace of that Russia-leather purse
was to be found about Cecile. After nearly an hour spent in prowling
about, he had to leave the children's room discomfited; discomfited
truly, and also not wholly unpunished. For Toby, who had been a good
deal satisfied with rolls and morsels of butter, in the feast made
earlier in the day by Pericard, had taken so sparingly of the soup that
he was very slightly drugged, and Anton's movements, becoming less
cautious as he perceived how heavy was the sleep over the children, at
last managed to wake the dog. What instinct was over Toby I know not.
But he hated Anton. He now followed him unperceived from the room, and,
just as he got into the passage outside, managed to insert his strong
teeth deep into his leg. The pain was sharp and terrible, and the thief
dared not scream. He hit Toby a blow, but not a very hard one, for the
dog was exactly behind him. Toby held on for a moment or two,
ascertained that the wound was both deep and painful, then retreated to
take up his post by Cecile's pillow. Nor did the faithful creature
close his eyes again that night. Anton, too, lay awake. Angry and
burning were his revengeful thoughts. He was more determined than ever
to find the purse, not to let his victims escape him. As to Toby, he
would kill him if he could. There seemed little doubt now that the
children had not the purse with them. Still Anton remembered Joe's
confused manner when he had sounded him on the subject of money. Anton
felt sure that Joe knew where the purse was. How could he force his
secret from the lad? How could he make him declare where the gold was
hidden? A specious, plausible man, Anton had, as I before said, made
friends with Joe. Joe in a moment of ill-advised confidence had told to
Anton his own sad history. Anton pondering over it now in the darkness,
for there was no moon shining into _his_ bedroom, felt that he could
secure a very strong hold over the lad.
Joe had been apprenticed to a Frenchman, who taught him to dance and
play the fiddle. Anton wondered what the law bound these apprentices
to. He had a hazy idea that, if they ran away, the punishment was
severe. He hoped that Joe had broken the law. Anton resolved to learn
more about these apprentice laws. For this purpose he rose very early
in the morning and went out. He was absent for about two hours. When he
returned he had learned enough to make up a bad and frightening tale.
Truly his old plans had been defeated in the night. But in the morning
he had made even worse than these. He came in to find the children
awakening from the effects of their long slumber, and Joe audibly
lamenting that they were not already on their way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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