efore, Mr Bastian would keep away
from the house until Gertrude started on her eventful walk, he was not
very likely to trouble her afterwards.
The priest had fully intended to call at Primrose Croft that very
afternoon, to see Mr Roberts, or if he were absent, Mistress Grena; but
he preferred the gentleman, as being usually more manageable than the
lady. He meant to terrify the person whom he might see, by vague hints
of something which he had heard--and which was not to be mentioned--that
it might be mournfully necessary for him to report to the authorities if
more humility and subordination to his orders were not shown. But he
was detained, first by a brother priest who wished to consult him in a
difficulty, then by the Cardinal's sumner, who brought documents from
his Eminence, and lastly by a beggar requesting alms. Having at length
freed himself from these interruptions, he set out for Primrose Croft.
He had passed through the gates, and was approaching the door, when he
saw an unwelcome sight which brought him to a sudden stop. That sight
was a long feathery tail, waving above a clump of ferns to the left.
Was it possible that the monster was loose? The gate was between Mr
Bastian and that tail, in an infinitesimal space of time. Ignorant of
the presence of the enemy, the wind being in the wrong direction, Jack
finished at leisure his inspection of the ferns, and bounded after
Gertrude.
"How exceedingly annoying!" said Mr Bastian to himself. "If that black
demon had been out of the way, and safely chained up, as he ought to
have been, I could have learned from the girl whether she had overheard
anything. I am sure it was her hood that I saw disappearing behind the
laurels. How very provoking! It must be Satan that sent the creature
this way at this moment. However, she will come to shrift, of course,
on Sunday, and then I shall get to know."
So saying, Mr Bastian turned round and went home, Gertrude sauntered
leisurely through the garden, went out by the wicket-gate, which Jack
preferred to clear at a bound, and walked rather slowly up the road,
followed by her sable escort. She was afraid of seeming in haste until
she was well out of the immediate neighbourhood. The clouds were so far
threatening that she felt it safe to carry her cloak--a very necessary
travelling companion in days when there were no umbrellas. She had
stitched sundry gold coins and some jewellery into her underclothing,
but
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