The Broad Highway

I hurried on, looking neither to right nor left, seeing only the

face of Charmian, now fearful and appealing, now blazing with

scorn. And coming to the brook, I sat down, and thought upon her

marvellous beauty, of the firm roundness of the arms that my

fingers had so lately pressed. Anon I started up again, and

plunged, knee-deep, through the brook, and strode on and on,

bursting my way through bramble and briar, heedless of their

petty stings, till at last I was clear of them, being now among

trees. And here, where the shadow was deepest, I came upon a

lurking figure--a figure I recognized--a figure there was no

mistaking, and which I should have known in a thousand.

A shortish, broad-shouldered man, clad in a blue coat, who stood

with his back towards me, looking down into the Hollow, in the

attitude of one who waits--for what? for whom?

He was cut off from me by a solitary bush, a bramble, that seemed

to have strayed from its kind and lost itself, and, running upon

my toes, I cleared this bush at a bound, and, before the fellow

had realized my presence, I had pinned him by the collar.

"Damn you!--show your face!" I cried, and swung him round so

fiercely that he staggered, and his hat fell off.

Then, as I saw, I clasped my head between my hands, and fell

back--staring.

A grizzled man with an honest, open face, a middle-aged man whose

homely features were lighted by a pair of kindly blue eyes, just

now round with astonishment.

"Lord!--Mr. Peter!" he exclaimed.

"Adam!" I groaned. "Oh, God forgive me, it's Adam!"

"Lord! Mr. Peter," said he again, "you sure give me a turn, Sir!

But what's the matter wi' you, sir? Come, Mr. Peter, never

stare so wild like--come, sir, what is it?"

"Tell me--quick!" said I, catching his hand in mine, "you have

been here many times before of late?"

"Why--yes, Mr. Peter, but--"

"Quick!" said I; "on one occasion she took you into the cottage

yonder and showed you a book--you looked at it over her

shoulder?"

"Yes, sir--but--"

"What sort of book was it?"

"A old book, sir, wi' the cover broke, and wi' your name writ

down inside of it; 'twas that way as she found out who you was--"

"Oh, Adam!" I cried. "Oh, Adam! now may God help me!" And,

dropping his hand, I turned and ran until I reached the cottage;

but it was empty, Charmian was gone.