y bark to cross
the brook with," I answered.

"The time to settle up all this business will soon come," said he,
shaking his head.

"Mr. Tom Thornton, if you think you can scare me with any bugbears, you
are mistaken. I know you better than you think I do."

"What do you know?" demanded he, surprised out of his malignity by my
remark.

"What I know I keep to myself. When you go back to Mrs. Loraine, I wish
you would tell her from me that it won't sound well when it is told she
kept that poor girl shut up in her room for a week or ten days, with the
blinds nailed so that she could not open them, just because she took
long stitches, or trod on a flower. If I were in your place I shouldn't
like to marry a woman like that."

Tom looked uneasy, and played with his watch chain. I thought he wanted
to say something conciliatory; that he desired to extend to me the olive
branch of peace, the better to get me into his power. I was quite
willing to listen to any overtures of this kind, for I wanted to return
to the cottage, obtain the will and the money, and then bid a final
adieu to Parkville until I had solved the problem of my existence. I was
fearfully anxious lest my uncle should discover the loss of the
valuable document I had taken, and it should be found where I had
concealed it.

"Ernest, you are getting yourself into trouble," said Tom, after a
while, in milder tones than he had yet used.

"For which, no doubt, you are very sorry," I added.

"I'm sure I don't want to quarrel with you."

"You have been very mild and gentle to me."

"Well, I was mad, Ernest," said he, with something like a smile. "If you
will tell me where my horse is, we will call it all square."

"I told uncle Amos where he is. I left him down in Welch's Lane."

"Where is that?"

"Your father knows where it is. His horse is harnessed, and he will
drive you down there," I replied, hoping they would adopt my plan, and
thus enable me to enter my chamber and reclaim the valuables I had left
there.

"Very well; I will do so. I will help you put the plank across the brook
before I go," he replied.

"No, I thank you. I can put it across myself when I get ready to do so,"
I answered, cautiously.

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything; but I'm not going to put my head in the
wildcat's mouth."

"I won't touch you."

"I don't intend you shall. Go and get your horse, and I will take care
of myself."

"Well, I will."