The Broad Highway eBook

Jeffery Farnol
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 604 pages of information about The Broad Highway.

The Broad Highway eBook

Jeffery Farnol
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 604 pages of information about The Broad Highway.

“What is it?”

“Look!” she whispered, pointing, “there—­where it is darkest —­look!” Now, following the direction of her finger, I saw something that skulked amid the shadows something that slunk away, and vanished as I watched.

“A man!” I exclaimed, and would have started in pursuit, but Charmian’s hands were upon my arm, strong and compelling.

“Are you mad?” cried she angrily; “would you give him the opportunity I prevented?  He was waiting there to—­to shoot you, I think!”

And, after we had gone on some little way, I spoke.

“Was that why you—­came to meet me?”

“Yes.”

“And—­kept so close beside me.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, yes, to be sure!” said I, and walked on in silence; and now I noticed that she kept as far from me as the path would allow.

“Are you thinking me very—­unmaidenly again, sir?”

“No,” I answered; “no.”

“You see, I had no other way.  Had I told you that there was a man hidden in the hedge you would have gone to look, and then —­something dreadful would have happened.”

“How came you to know he was there?”

“Why, after I had prepared supper I climbed that steep path which leads to the road and sat down upon the fallen tree that lies there, to watch for you, and, as I sat there, I saw a man come hurrying down the road.”

“A very big man?”

“Yes, very tall he seemed, and, as I watched, he crept in behind the hedge.  While I was wondering at this, I heard your step on the road, and you were whistling.”

“And yet I seldom whistle.”

“It was you—­I knew your step.”

“Did you, Charmian?”

“I do wish you would not interrupt, sir.”

“I beg your pardon,” said I humbly.

“And then I saw you coming, and the man saw you too, for he crouched suddenly; I could only see him dimly in the shadow of the hedge, but he looked murderous, and it seemed to me that if you reached his hiding-place before I did—­something terrible would happen, and so—­”

“You came to meet me.”

“Yes.”

“And walked close beside me, so that you were between me and the shadow in the hedge?”

“Yes.”

“And I thought—­” I began, and stopped.

“Well, Peter?” Here she turned, and gave me a swift glance beneath her lashes.

“—­that it was because—­you were—­perhaps—­rather glad to see me.”  Charmian did not speak; indeed she was so very silent that I would have given much to have seen her face just then, but the light was very dim, as I have said, moreover she had turned her shoulder towards me.  “But I am grateful to you,” I went on, “very grateful, and—­it was very brave of you!”

“Thank you, sir,” she answered in a very small voice, and I more than suspected that she was laughing at me.

“Not,” I therefore continued, “that there was any real danger.”

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Project Gutenberg
The Broad Highway from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.