Dick took a day to recover from his fatigue and, after that, shut up in
his room, be began to find the time pass heavily away. His mother was
engaged in household affairs, and in preparing for the removal, while
his father was absent from home until late in the evening, having to
make more than one trip to the new farm. Janet came and sat with him
frequently. She was in good spirits at the anticipation of recovering
her sight, about which she was very sanguine. Still Dick pined for
fresh air. "You ought to get out," he said to Janet, "instead of
sitting all day shut up here. I'll chance it; put on your shawl and
bonnet; we are not likely to meet any one, and if we do they'll not
interfere with us."
Janet, without further consideration, forgetting her father's warning,
agreed, and she leaning on Dick's arm, they took their way down a green
lane in which she especially delighted, and which turned off near the
house. She knew that scarcely any one passed that way, as she had
frequently gone along it alone, with her dog to guide her. Tempted by
the pleasantness of the evening, they went on for some distance, through
a forest glade.
"We ought to be going back," said Janet at length, "for I feel the air
damp, though you don't find it out, Dick, and I know that the sun must
have set."
"There will be plenty of light for me to see my way home," answered
Dick; "but we will turn, as you wish it."
They had not got far on their way back, when Janet felt Dick give a
start, and she heard the sound of horses' approaching at a quick pace.
"What do you see?" she asked.
Dick did not answer; he was looking about to find some place of
concealment. Had he been alone he could easily have hid himself, but he
could not leave Janet. The horsemen approached rapidly. Dick tried to
walk on in an unconcerned manner. In another minute they were up to
him, and he saw Lord Reginald and Mr Voules. He felt sure that they
recognised him, for he saw the latter turn to the young lord and make
some remark, though, possibly on Janet's account, he did not speak
sufficiently loud to allow what he said to be heard. They both,
however, stared very hard, and then passed on, allowing Dick and his
sister to proceed on their way.
"Who are those persons?" asked Janet.
Dick told her, but, not wishing to alarm her, observed, "If they knew
me, they didn't think it worth while to interfere. I don't suppose any
harm will come of it."
Janet, however, became very anxious. "As they are officers of the ship
you ran away from, they'll think it right to take you. Oh, Dick! you
must try and hide where they can't find you. It would be dreadful to
have you carried off again!"
"Don't tell father and mother, then; it will frighten them, and I'll see
what's best to be done. Both these fellows hate me, and I don't suppose
they will let me remain in quiet. They were afraid of attempting to
seize me, for they knew well that they would have found it a tough job."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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