But Nell retained her grasp upon the old man's arm, and long after
he was slumbering soundly, watched him with untiring eyes. Fatigue
stole over her at last; her grasp relaxed, tightened, relaxed
again, and they slept side by side.
A confused sound of voices, mingling with her dreams, awoke her.
A man of very uncouth and rough appearance was standing over them,
and two of his companions were looking on, from a long heavy boat
which had come close to the bank while they were sleeping. The
boat had neither oar nor sail, but was towed by a couple of horses,
who, with the rope to which they were harnessed slack and dripping
in the water, were resting on the path.
'Holloa!' said the man roughly. 'What's the matter here?'
'We were only asleep, Sir,' said Nell. 'We have been walking all
night.'
'A pair of queer travellers to be walking all night,' observed the
man who had first accosted them. 'One of you is a trifle too old
for that sort of work, and the other a trifle too young. Where are
you going?'
Nell faltered, and pointed at hazard towards the West, upon which
the man inquired if she meant a certain town which he named.
Pages:
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594