The man shot down the path like an arrow. Mrs. Todhetley--who had been walking on, seeming not to have caught the words, or to know whose the voice was, or where it came from--gazed round in all directions, her countenance curiously helpless. She ran up the rest of the zigzag, and went swiftly home across the field. Tod disentangled himself from the brambles, and drew a long breath.
"I think it's time we went now, Johnny." It was not often he spoke in that tone. He had always been at war tacitly with Mrs. Todhetley, and was not likely to favour her now. Generous though he was by nature, there could be no denying that he took up awful prejudices.
"I don't care what it is about--the fellow has no business to be prowling here, on my father's grounds; and he _shan't_ be, without my knowing what it's for. I'll watch madam's movements."
"Mean! Why, that the individual is some poor relation of hers, come to drain as much of my father's money out of her as he can. _She_ is the one to blame. I wonder how she dare encourage him!"
"Not help herself? Don't show yourself a fool, Johnny. An honest-minded, straightforward woman would appeal to my father in any annoyance of this sort, or to me, in his absence, and say 'Here's So-and-so come down upon us, asking for help, can we give it him?'--and there's no doubt the Squire _would_ give it him; he's soft enough for anything."
It was of no use contending. I did not see it quite in that light, but Tod liked his own opinion. He threw up his head with a haughty jerk.
"You have tried to defend Mrs. Todhetley before, in trifling matters, Johnny; don't attempt it now. Would any good woman, say any _lady_, if you will, subject herself to this kind of thing?--hold private meetings with a man--allow him to come tapping at her sitting-room window at night? No; not though he were her own brother."
"Tod, it may be her brother. She would never do anything wrong willingly."
"Shut up, Johnny. She never had a brother."
Of course I shut up forthwith, and went across the field by Tod's side in silence, his strides wide and indignant, his head up in the air. Mrs. Todhetley was hearing Lena read when we got in, and looked as if she had never been out that morning.