I lifted
the latch and stepped in. She squeaked with affright till she saw who it
was, and then turned her note into a gurgle of astonishment.
"Are you alone?" I asked. She nodded. "Just a minute then, and I'll be
back again, with a visitor. Keep quiet!"
I returned to the boat, and as I was obliged to move as stealthily as a
cat, I could not help, as I approached, hearing Joe say emphatically, "I
wunna." I cursed him silent, without troubling to ask what he was
objecting to, and handed Mistress Waynflete out.
"Now, Joe," I whispered, "off you go back! The moon will be up in a few
minutes, and you ought to do it in an hour. You can sit in the kitchen all
to-morrow to make up for this."
"Jin said 'er'd sit up for me," he said, and I was glad he had such a
good motive to keep him up to his hard task.
"Good-bye, Joe," said Mistress Waynflete, shaking the good fellow warmly
by the hand. "Give my loving remembrances to your mistresses and to Jane.
Say how grateful I am."
"Good-bye, my lady," he said simply, "and God bless you." So that only I
could hear him, he added, "Tak' good keer on 'er, Master Noll.
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