Читать книгу A Queen of Nine Days онлайн

14 страница из 48

'Mistress,' said old Timothy to me at length. 'We can do nothing against so many, and unfortunately we have already incurred their anger. Far better would it be, therefore, for us to turn and flee whilst they are occupied in drowning the witches.'

'Flee! Do you mean that?' exclaimed I.

'Yes. Yes, mistress dear. And quickly—quickly! It is our only chance.'

And Timothy looked affrightedly at the angry faces of the mob.

'Nay. But that is cowardly!' I cried, 'to run away and think only of our own skins when the weak and old are being murdered!'

'We shall be murdered ourselves in a few more minutes if we stay here,' muttered the old man. 'Child,' he said, forgetting my new dignity, which indeed profited me nothing just then, 'it is to save our lives—yours, the most precious of all. How could I face Sir Henry again if you were killed?'

And his voice shook.

'Killed! Killed? Are they threatening that? Oh, but, Timothy, we have never done them any harm.'

'Ay, but you have!' cried the loud, domineering voice of Sir Claudius, as he thrust himself forward to get between Timothy and me. 'You have tried to stop our sport!'