The two lads were standing together with their elbows resting on the sill of the wide dormer window, whose two casements were propped wide open, while they gazed out into the soft darkness of the autumn night. "I was thinking about that friend of yours who was going to get me a pass across to France in a fishing-boat." "Oh," said Waller in a disappointed tone; "I thought you were thinking about how beautiful it is looking out here into the darkness of the forest, with the scent of the soft, warm, damp leaves, and listening to the owls and that squeaking rabbit that had the weasel after it." "It is very beautiful," said Godfrey sadly; "but I was thinking about that boat." "I wish you wouldn't be so fond of wishing to get away," said Waller gloomily. "It's as if I had not done enough to make you comfortable." "Oh!" cried the lad passionately, and he turned to lay his hand on Waller's shoulder. "How can you say that, when you have done too much, and made me feel--almost alone in the world as I am--as if I should like to stay here always!" "Do you mean that?" cried Waller excitedly. "Of course I do. I never had a friend like you before, and I never knew what it was to lead a boy's life. Out there in France I never heard about anything else hardly but politics, and getting back the crown for the Stuarts." "Then you really don't want to go?" cried Waller. "No; but I must go, and the sooner the better. You know what I must feel." "Yes," said Waller sadly, "but--" "Oh, it must come to an end. I lie awake of a night wondering how it is that your servants have not found it all out before, with you bringing up all that I have to eat and drink. I fancy sometimes that they must know." "But they don't," said Waller grimly. "But how have you managed?" "Oh, somehow," said Waller, with a half-laugh. "It's been mostly done by stealing." "By stealing! Nonsense! You couldn't be a thief." "Thank you for the compliment," said Waller, laughing; "but you are wrong. I have gone on stealing every day, everything you have had; only it was only my own breakfast and dinner." "Then you have been starving yourself for me!" said Godfrey excitedly. "Oh, no, I haven't," cried Waller merrily, "only I've got the credit of being such a pig that cook's quite anxious about me. It was only the day before yesterday she wanted me to take some physic; said I was eating twice as much as was good for me, and it made her very anxious, and she wished my father would come home." "Yes," cried Godfrey, "your father, too. Why, you told me long ago that you expected him every day." "Well, so I did; but he doesn't come, and he doesn't write. I don't know why it is; but, of course, he will come some day." "Yes, and there will be terrible trouble about your harbouring me. Oh, Waller, I did hope your man of the woods would have got a passage for me in some boat. Why, it's four days since he was here and promised to make that right."