"And here have I been trying to find you among the rocks while I looked
at my crab pots. For I said to myself, `If Master Harry's washed up
anywhere along the coast, there's nobody more like to find him than me.'
And you're not dead after all."
"No, Poll Perrow," he said agitatedly, "I'm not dead."
"Come on back home," she cried. "I am glad I found you. Master Vine
and Miss Louise, oh, they will be glad!"
"Hush, woman!" he gasped, "not a word. No one must know you have seen
me."
"Lor', and I forget all about that," she said in a whisper. "More I
mustn't. There's the police and Master Leslie, and everybody been out
in boats trying to find you washed up, you know."
"And now you've found me, and will go and get the reward," he said
bitterly.
"I don't know nothing about no reward," said the woman staring hard at
him. "Why, where's your jacket and weskut? Aren't you cold?"
"Cold? I'm starving," he cried. "You look it. Here, what shall I do?
Go and get you something to eat?"
"Yes--no!" he cried bitterly. "You'll go and tell the police."
"Well, I am ashamed o' you, Master Harry, that I am."
"But it was all a misfortune, Poll Perrow, an accident. I am not
guilty. I'm not indeed."
"I warn't talking about that," said the woman surlily, "but 'bout you
saying I should tell the police. It's likely, aren't it?"
"Then you will not tell--you will not betray me?"
"Yah! are it likely, Master Harry? Did I tell the pleece 'bout Mark
Nackley when he was in trouble over the smuggling and hid away?"
"But I am innocent; I am indeed."
"All right, my lad, all right, Master Harry. If you says so, that's
'nough for me. Here, I'll go and tell Master Vine I've found you."
"No, no; he thinks I'm dead."
"Well, everybody does; and I said it was a pity such a nice, handsome
young lad should be drowned like that. I told my Liza so."
"My father must not know."
"Miss Louy then?"
"No, no. You must keep it a secret from everybody, unless you want to
see me put in prison."
"Now is that likely, my lad? Here, I've got it. I'll go and tell
Master Luke Vine."
"Worst of all. No; not a word to a soul."
"All right, Master Harry; I can keep my mouth shut when I try. But what
are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet. I'm hiding yonder."
"What! in the little seal zorn?"
"Yes. Don't betray me, woman, pray!"
"Betray you, Master Harry? You know I won't."
"You will not tell a soul?"
"You tell me not to tell nobody, and I won't say a word even to my Liza.
But they're seeking for you everywhere--dead. Oh! My dear lad, shake
hands. I am glad you warn't drowned."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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