When distant from it only two hundred yards, we saw the
girls enter the wood, evidently taking the direction of the seat. At
the same moment I caught a glimpse of Neb moving up the road from the
landing at a snail's pace, as if the poor fellow dreaded to encounter
the task before him. After a moment's consultation, we determined to
proceed at once to the grove, and thus anticipate the account of Neb,
who must pass so near the summer-house as to be seen and
recognised. We met with more obstacles than we had foreseen or
remembered, and when we got to a thicket close in the rear of the
bench, we found that the black was already in the presence of his two
"young mistresses."
The appearance of the three, when I first caught a near view of them,
was such as almost to terrify me. Even Neb, whose face was usually as
shining as a black bottle, was almost of the colour of ashes. The poor
fellow could not speak, and, though Lucy was actually shaking him to
extract an explanation, the only answer she could get was tears. These
flowed from Neb's eyes in streams, and at length the fellow threw
himself on the ground, and fairly began to groan.
"Can this be shame at having run away?" exclaimed Lucy, "or does it
foretell evil to the boys?"
"He knows nothing of _them_, not having been with them--yet, I
am terrified.
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