this was an adventure which could result in death.
It was midnight when Edwin and Leigh returned, for it was about three miles to White Cliff Cave. Christabel and I were waiting up and had been watching from my bedroom window. We had prevailed on Carl to go to bed, promising him that when Edwin and Leigh came up, we would let him know if he were still awake.
“Of course I’ll be awake,” he said; but I had looked in on him at about eleven o’clock and he was fast asleep.
He was very excited about the adventure and could be useful, but I would rather he had not been concerned in it.
“My father, who is quite tolerant about some matters, is fiercely against Catholics,”
I told Christabel. “He dislikes the Duke of York. More than that he feels it would be a disaster if he ever came to the throne. He says the people won’t allow it and there’ll be a revolution. He is all for putting Monmouth up as the heir.”
“What would he have done if he had found Jocelyn Frinton in the grounds?”
“I don’t know. He knew his father and he must have been aware that they were a Catholic family. But a little while ago no one thought very much about that. It is only since Titus Gates came along with his Popish Plot that people started to worry. I know that if there was a conflict my father would be on the side of Monmouth rather than that of the King’s brother. But that’s politics. I know religion comes into it, but my father is not a religious man.”
“No,” said Christabel, “that seems to be clear at any rate.”
“I don’t know whether he would give him up, but I don’t think he would help him or want us to. What Edwin does is his own affair because Edwin is a man and my father is not his father. What my mother would think I don’t know. She would be alarmed because we might be putting ourselves in danger. But there’s Carl, you see. My father dotes on Carl and Carl had insisted on becoming involved.”
“He enjoys it. It’s a wonderful adventure to him and I notice that he likes to be in everything.”
“I should imagine my father must have been just like that when he was young.”
“You could be sure of that.” There was a touch of asperity in her voice, reminding me of the Christabel I had known before the corning of Edwin and Leigh, which had worked such a subtle change in her.
“Listen,” I said, “they’ve come back, I think.”
I was right. We stood tense at the window, and hi a short time we 43
saw Leigh and Edwin come into the house. We waylaid them and they came into my bedroom.
“All is well,” whispered Leigh. “A very good spot. Full marks, Priscilla, for thinking of it.”
I glowed with pleasure.
“He has food for tomorrow and he’ll be all right provided no one decides to picnic there.”
“Picnic in November in that bleak spot!”
“Bleak’s the word,” said Edwin. “But the blankets will keep him warm.”
“How long can he stay there?” asked Christabel.
“Not indefinitely, of course,” replied Edwin. “We’ll have to try and think of something before the winter gets really cold.”
“He’d freeze,” I said.
“Priscilla is worried about Carl’s being involved,” Christabel told them.
“Yes, so am I,” said Edwin.
“He’s a good fellow,” added Leigh. “It would be his extra exuberance which might give it away.”
“I’ll speak to him hi the morning,” said Edwin. “Where is he now? In bed, I suppose.”
“Fast asleep. He wanted to stay awake to see how it went but I told him he should go to bed as normal. He did and was soon asleep.”
“We ought to try to get Frinton away somewhere before your father returns,” said Edwin to me.
I agreed with that.
Leigh said: “Well, it is late. We mustn’t stay chattering here. Who knows, we might be spied on. I don’t think anyone saw us, but we must all understand that this is no game and it’s no use treating it as such. It’s deadly serious. It could mean death for that young man
It was midnight when Edwin and Leigh returned, for it was about three miles to White Cliff Cave. Christabel and I were waiting up and had been watching from my bedroom window. We had prevailed on Carl to go to bed, promising him that when Edwin and Leigh came up, we would let him know if he were still awake.
“Of course I’ll be awake,” he said; but I had looked in on him at about eleven o’clock and he was fast asleep.
He was very excited about the adventure and could be useful, but I would rather he had not been concerned in it.
“My father, who is quite tolerant about some matters, is fiercely against Catholics,”
I told Christabel. “He dislikes the Duke of York. More than that he feels it would be a disaster if he ever came to the throne. He says the people won’t allow it and there’ll be a revolution. He is all for putting Monmouth up as the heir.”
“What would he have done if he had found Jocelyn Frinton in the grounds?”
“I don’t know. He knew his father and he must have been aware that they were a Catholic family. But a little while ago no one thought very much about that. It is only since Titus Gates came along with his Popish Plot that people started to worry. I know that if there was a conflict my father would be on the side of Monmouth rather than that of the King’s brother. But that’s politics. I know religion comes into it, but my father is not a religious man.”
“No,” said Christabel, “that seems to be clear at any rate.”
“I don’t know whether he would give him up, but I don’t think he would help him or want us to. What Edwin does is his own affair because Edwin is a man and my father is not his father. What my mother would think I don’t know. She would be alarmed because we might be putting ourselves in danger. But there’s Carl, you see. My father dotes on Carl and Carl had insisted on becoming involved.”
“He enjoys it. It’s a wonderful adventure to him and I notice that he likes to be in everything.”
“I should imagine my father must have been just like that when he was young.”
“You could be sure of that.” There was a touch of asperity in her voice, reminding me of the Christabel I had known before the corning of Edwin and Leigh, which had worked such a subtle change in her.
“Listen,” I said, “they’ve come back, I think.”
I was right. We stood tense at the window, and hi a short time we 43
saw Leigh and Edwin come into the house. We waylaid them and they came into my bedroom.
“All is well,” whispered Leigh. “A very good spot. Full marks, Priscilla, for thinking of it.”
I glowed with pleasure.
“He has food for tomorrow and he’ll be all right provided no one decides to picnic there.”
“Picnic in November in that bleak spot!”
“Bleak’s the word,” said Edwin. “But the blankets will keep him warm.”
“How long can he stay there?” asked Christabel.
“Not indefinitely, of course,” replied Edwin. “We’ll have to try and think of something before the winter gets really cold.”
“He’d freeze,” I said.
“Priscilla is worried about Carl’s being involved,” Christabel told them.
“Yes, so am I,” said Edwin.
“He’s a good fellow,” added Leigh. “It would be his extra exuberance which might give it away.”
“I’ll speak to him hi the morning,” said Edwin. “Where is he now? In bed, I suppose.”
“Fast asleep. He wanted to stay awake to see how it went but I told him he should go to bed as normal. He did and was soon asleep.”
“We ought to try to get Frinton away somewhere before your father returns,” said Edwin to me.
I agreed with that.
Leigh said: “Well, it is late. We mustn’t stay chattering here. Who knows, we might be spied on. I don’t think anyone saw us, but we must all understand that this is no game and it’s no use treating it as such. It’s deadly serious. It could mean death for that young man
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