"I knew it!" said I, with triumph, conscious that to me was due the
glory of unearthing the tale.
"I'll tell it to you, if you like," said Mrs. Boyd.
"Oh, pray do; we are dying to hear about it!" said Miss Bascombe. "A
highwayman above all! How delicious!"
"Was he handsome?" asked one of the ladies, foolishly, as if that had
anything to say to it.
"Wait," said Mrs. Boyd, who assumed a grave expression of countenance,
which we felt to be due to the recollection of the danger she had run.
We also looked serious, as in politeness bound, and sat in eager
expectation of her story.
"One day we were all invited to spend the whole afternoon at a
neighbour's house. We were to go early for dinner at half-past twelve,
stay until tea at five, and then drive home in the evening. The
neighbour lived twelve miles away, but as there was to be a moon we
anticipated no difficulty in driving home over the prairie. You see, as
a rule, people are not out after dark in those wild regions; they get up
very early, work hard all day, and are quite ready to go to bed soon
after sunset. Anyway, there is no twilight; the sun sets, and it is dark
almost immediately. When the day came, Emily (my sister, you know, with
whom I was staying) wasn't able to go because the baby was not at all
well, and she could not leave him for so long a time. So my
brother-in-law and I set off alone, promising to come home early.
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