As Peternot’s discourse was broken by intervals of silence, Jack thought, “I’ll wait till he begins to pray.” Then came a clatter of chairs: “They’re going to kneel down!” thought he, and grasped tightly the loose top of the bag. But just then, to his consternation, he heard heavy footsteps approaching; somebody was entering the room!
It was Peternot, who, feeling now a more anxious care for the coin than when he believed it to be spurious, had remembered, during his devotions (his heart being where his treasure was), that the window of the room was open, and who deemed it prudent to step in and shut it before he began his prayer.
The terrified Jack crowded himself into the corner by the bureau, and waited, breathless with apprehension, while Peternot closed the window, and turned to go out. The old man took two or three steps towards the bureau, and gave a glance in the direction of the bag; but having no light, he did not see the youthful house-breaker stuck up there in the dark niche, like a shivering ghost.
Then he went back into the kitchen, leaving the door wide open, the window closed and fastened, and Jack shut in.
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IN a moment all was still in the kitchen; then, after a brief silence, Peternot began to pray, in a low, solemn tone of voice. Jack, waiting and listening in his corner, was dismayed at this, remembering what Hank had just said of the old man’s prayers.
“That’s no praying!” thought he. “I shall never dare stir, unless he puts in, and makes more noise. Is that the best he can do, I wonder?”
Peternot soon showed that he could do better, his voice rising as he proceeded in a manner that greatly encouraged Jack, who now slipped from his corner, in order to make an observation.
Venturing to peep in at the open door, he saw the squire and his wife and nephew all kneeling before their chairs in the kitchen, with their backs toward him. That he considered a fortunate circumstance: they would not see him if he closed the door.
“But if I shut it,” he reflected, “I shall be in the dark, and I may stumble over a chair! I’ll take the money to the window, and get everything ready first,—see just what I must do, and how to do it; then I’ll shut it.”