CHAPTER XIX. A SUMMER NIGHT.

otheHollow,Shirley?" "TotheHollow.Willyougowithme?" "Wherethosemenaregone?" "Theyhavetakenthehighwayweshouldnotencounterthem.Theroadoverthefieldsisassafe,silent,andsolitaryasapaththroughtheairwouldbe.Willyougo?" "Yes,"wastheanswer,givenmechanically,notbecausethespeakerwishedorwaspreparedtogo,or,indeed,wasotherwisethanscaredattheprospectofgoing,butbecauseshefeltshecouldnotabandonShirley. "Thenwemustfastenupthesewindows,andleaveallassecureaswecanbehindus.Doyouknowwhatwearegoingfor,Cary?" "Yes—no—becauseyouwishit." "Isthatall?Andareyousoobedienttoamerecapriceofmine?Whatadocilewifeyouwouldmaketoasternhusband!Themoon'sfaceisnotwhiterthanyoursatthismoment,andtheaspenatthegatedoesnottremblemorethanyourbusyfingersandso,tractableandterror-struck,anddismayedanddevoted,youwouldfollowmeintothethickofrealdanger!Cary,letmegiveyourfidelityamotive.WearegoingforMoore'ssake—toseeifwecanbeofusetohim,tomakeanefforttowarnhimofwhatiscoming." "Tobesure!Iamablind,weakfool,andyouareacuteandsensible,Shirley.IwillgowithyouIwillgladlygowithyou!" "Idonotdoubtit.Youwoulddieblindlyandmeeklyforme,butyouwouldintelligentlyandgladlydieforMoore.But,intruth,thereisnoquestionofdeathto-nightwerunnoriskatall." Carolinerapidlyclosedshutterandlattice."DonotfearthatIshallnothavebreathtorunasfastasyoucanpossiblyrun,Shirley.Takemyhand.Letusgostraightacrossthefields." "Butyoucannotclimbwalls?" "To-nightIcan." "Youareafraidofhedges,andthebeckwhichweshallbeforcedtocross?" "Icancrossit." Theystartedtheyran.Manyawallcheckedbutdidnotbafflethem.Shirleywassurefootedandagileshecouldspringlikeadeerwhenshechose.Caroline,moretimidandlessdexterous,fellonceortwice,andbruisedherselfbutsheroseagaindirectly,sayingshewasnothurt.Aquicksethedgeboundedthelastfieldtheylosttimeinseekingagapinit.Theaperture,whenfound,wasnarrow,buttheyworkedtheirwaythrough.Thelonghair,thetenderskin,thesilksandthemuslinssufferedbutwhatwaschieflyregrettedwastheimpedimentthisdifficultyhadcausedtospeed.Ontheothersidetheymetthebeck,flowingdeepinaroughbed.Atthispointanarrowplankformedtheonlybridgeacrossit.ShirleyhadtroddentheplanksuccessfullyandfearlesslymanyatimebeforeCarolinehadneveryetdaredtoriskthetransit. "Iwillcarryyouacross,"saidMissKeeldar."Youarelight,andIamnotweak.Letmetry." "IfIfallin,youmayfishmeout,"wastheanswer,asagratefulsqueezecompressedherhand.Caroline,withoutpausing,trodforwardonthetremblingplankasifitwereacontinuationofthefirmturf.Shirley,whofollowed,didnotcrossitmoreresolutelyorsafely.Intheirpresenthumour,ontheirpresenterrand,astrongandfoamingchannelwouldhavebeenabarriertoneither.Atthemomenttheywereabovethecontroleitheroffireorwater.AllStilbro'Moor,alightandaglowwithbonfires,wouldnothavestoppedthem,norwouldCalderorAirethunderinginflood.Yetonesoundmadethempause.Scarcehadtheysetfootonthesolidoppositebankwhenashotsplittheairfromthenorth.Onesecondelapsed.Furtheroffburstalikenoteinthesouth.Withinthespaceofthreeminutessimilarsignalsboomedintheeastandwest. "Ithoughtweweredeadatthefirstexplosion,"observedShirley,drawingalongbreath."Ifeltmyselfhitinthetemples,andIconcludedyourheartwaspiercedbutthereiteratedvoicewasanexplanation.Thosearesignals—itistheirway—theattackmustbenear.Weshouldhavehadwings.Ourfeethavenotborneusswiftlyenough." Aportionofthecopsewasnowtoclear.Whentheyemergedfromitthemilllayjustbelowthem.Theycouldlookdownuponthebuildings,theyardtheycouldseetheroadbeyond.AndthefirstglanceinthatdirectiontoldShirleyshewasrightinherconjecture.Theywerealreadytoolatetogivewarning.Ithadtakenmoretimethantheycalculatedontoovercomethevariousobstacleswhichembarrassedtheshortcutacrossthefields. Theroad,whichshouldhavebeenwhite,wasdarkwithamovingmass.Therioterswereassembledinfrontoftheclosedyardgates,andasinglefigurestoodwithin,apparentlyaddressingthem.Themillitselfwasperfectlyblackandstill.Therewasneitherlife,light,normotionaroundit. "Surelyheisprepared.SurelythatisnotMooremeetingthemalone?"whisperedShirley. "Itis.Wemustgotohim.Iwillgotohim." "Thatyouwillnot." "WhydidIcome,then?Icameonlyforhim.Ishalljoinhim." "Fortunatelyitisoutofyourpower.Thereisnoentrancetotheyard." "Thereisasmallentranceattheback,besidesthegatesinfront.ItopensbyasecretmethodwhichIknow.Iwilltryit." "Notwithmyleave." MissKeeldarclaspedherroundthewaistwithbotharmsandheldherback."Notonestepshallyoustir,"shewentonauthoritatively."AtthismomentMoorewouldbebothshockedandembarrassedifhesaweitheryouorme.Menneverwantwomennearthemintimeofrealdanger." "Iwouldnottrouble—Iwouldhelphim,"wasthereply. "How?—byinspiringhimwithheroism?Pooh!thesearenotthedaysofchivalry.Itisnotatiltatatournamentwearegoingtobehold,butastruggleaboutmoney,andfood,andlife." "ItisnaturalthatIshouldbeathisside." "Asqueenofhisheart?Hismillishislady-love,Cary!Backedbyhisfactoryandhisframes,hehasalltheencouragementhewantsorcanknow.Itisnotforloveorbeauty,butforledgerandbroadcloth,heisgoingtobreakaspear.Don'tbesentimentalRobertisnotso." "IcouldhelphimIwillseekhim." "Offthen—Iletyougo—seekMoore.You'llnotfindhim." Sheloosenedherhold.Carolinespedlikelevelledshaftfrombentbowafterherrangajesting,gibinglaugh."Lookwellthereisnomistake!"wasthewarninggiven. Buttherewasamistake.MissHelstonepaused,hesitated,gazed.Thefigurehadsuddenlyretreatedfromthegate,andwasrunningbackhastilytothemill. "Makehaste,Lina!"criedShirley"meethimbeforeheenters." Carolineslowlyreturned."ItisnotRobert,"shesaid."Ithasneitherhisheight,form,norbearing." "IsawitwasnotRobertwhenIletyoug