A Bit of Nature, Chapters XIV-XXIII [pp. 253-272]

APPLETONS' JO URNAL.
berts to comparative poverty, that is an unsubstantial figger of speech that won't bear the test of facts.
The Herberts are not by any means poor to-day.
Tom Herbert has a competency, fortune, or whatever you like to call it, in his own right, which
wasn't affected by the decision of the court."
"Are you quite sure, father?"
"Of course I am-Barker told me all about it."
"I am glad to know this, father-still, I cannot
help wishing that there had been a division. Promise me, father, that, if ever the Herbert family come
to want, you will assist them."
"What! old Tom Herbert, who's been a-badgerin' me all along?"
"Come, father, nothing less than that will tranquilize my conscience."
Here the witness behind the shrubbery saw that
she took his hand. He did not withdraw it in the
pause that followed. At length he said, with reluctance:
"Well, I'll see about it. There! I'll do anything in reason to make you happy, pet, even to giving old Herbert a lift-should he want it-as I
would throw a bone to a dog."
It was with a swelling heart that the man concealed in the shrubbery heard this appeal in behalf
of his family. He interpreted it as a confession of
the deep interest she took in himself-an interest
which she was obliged to disguise by speaking of
him only through his family. This strengthened him
in his resolution to open his heart the first time he
found her alone.
At this point two men came forward, who had
been sitting on the porch. He recognized one of
them immediately as Walters; the other, by his conversation, soon revealed himself to be Sir Thomas
Rogers.
"Well," said Potter to the two men, "there's
been a good deal of talk up there on the porch.
What's it all been about? Politics?"
"Although you belong to the country of the
guessers," said the baronet, "you would not guess it
in a lifetime."
"Well?" asked Potter.
"We were talking of the superiority of the claypipe of the old Romans as a conductor of water over
the modern water-pipe."
"Well," said Potter, "that's just like John Walters."
Richard, afraid of discovery, hardly breathed in
his hiding-place. As he advanced one of his feet, in
order to screen himself more effectually from the
view of the group before him, it broke a dry twig,
the sound of which caused Potter to turn his head in
the direction where he stood. This might not have
aroused those from whom he was trying to conceal
his presence had he not, in a few moments, given
way to a cough that he was unable to stifle altogether. At this Potter jumped up and said:
"There is some one in the garden.-Where is
Jerk, Daisy?"
"He must be shut up, or he would be with us,
father."
As the three men moved forward, Richard stole
stealthily back; and, as he did so, Potter went by
him, and intercepted his retreat by the front.
"Spread ourselves out at the front of the
grounds," said Potter, "and then we will move back
toward the house and beat him up, whoever it
is."
In pursuance of this direction, Richard heard
them moving down to the road. Daisy had not left
the spot where he had first seen her. She stood in a
listening attitude while her friends were beating up
the bushes from the front. Discovery was certain if
he remained where he was. He looked at Daisy as
she stood, beautiful and guileless, in the moonlight.
He hesitated no longer, but passed quickly out from
under the cover of the thick foliage into her presence, removing his hat, and raising his hand in a
supplicating gesture. He was under a shaft of light
from the moon, and, as she recognized him, she exclaimed:
"Richard Herbert! It was you, then?"
He bowed his head, as he stammered:
"I wanted to see you-but you remember your
father forbade me his house."
"What explanation will you make when they approach?" asked she, quickly.
"Is it necessary-can you not allow me to escape?"
A sentiment of irresolution was depicted in her
face. It was easy to fancy how anything like concealment was repugnant to her nature. But she
heard the beating of the bushes as it came nearer,
and she had to decide.
"Come, Mr. Herbert, follow me," said she, making up her mind.
And she took him round one side of the house,
and let him out at a back-gate. As he lingered there
a moment, he asked her if she would not make an
appointment with him.
"I will not do that, Mr. Herbert," said she;
"but, as I go to the sea-shore every day, you will
have an opportunity to speak to me when you desire
to do so."
"Good-night," said he, as he hurried away. She
looked after him a moment as he walked down the
road, then hastened back to the spot in front of the
house where she had seen Richard. Her father was
there. He asked her quickly:
"Well, did you see any one go by here?"
"I did, father."
"Why didn't you give the alarm? I suspect it's
a burglar."
"It is not a burglar."
"How do you know that? I must give information to the police. You say you saw him. What
did he look like? How did he escape? What
direction did he take?"
Daisy made an effort, and said:
"He went out by the back-gate. I conducted
him to it."
"Daisy, what is the meaning of this? You don't
pretend to be the accomplice of burglars?"
"This man is not a burglar."
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