The Witchs Head | Page 9

old lady," was Dorothy's answer. "Her family
lived for many years at a place called Ceswick's Ness; but her brother
lost all his money gambling, and the place was sold, and Mr. de Talor,
that horrid fat man whom you saw drive away this morning, bought it."
"Does she live alone?"
"Yes; but she has some nice nieces, the daughter of her brother who is
dead, and whose mother is very ill; and if she dies one of them is
coming to live with her. She is just my age, so I hope she will come."
After this there was silence for a while.

"Ernest," said the little woman presently, "you look kind, so I will ask
you. I want you to help me about Jeremy."
Ernest, feeling much puffed up at the compliment implied, expressed
his willingness to do anything he could.
"You see, Ernest," she went on, fixing her sweet blue eyes on his face,
"Jeremy is a great trouble to me. He will go his own way. And he does
not like Reginald, and Reginald does not like him. If Reginald comes in
at one door, Jeremy goes out at the other. Besides, he always flies in
Reginald's face. And, you see, it is not right of Jeremy, because after all
Reginald is very kind to us, and there is no reason he should be, except
that I believe he was fond of our mother; and if it was not for Reginald,
whom I love very much, though he is curious sometimes, I don't know
what would become of grandfather or us. So, you see, I think that
Jeremy ought to behave better to him, and I want to ask you to bear
with his rough ways, and try to be friends with him, and get him to
behave better. It is not much for him to do in return for all your uncle's
kindness. You see, I can do a little something, because I look after the
housekeeping; but he does nothing. First I want you to get him to make
no more trouble about going to Mr. Halford's."
"All right, I'll try; but, I say, how do you learn? you seem to know an
awful lot."
"O, I teach myself in the evenings. Reginald wanted to get me a
governess, but I would not. How should I ever get Grice and the
servants to obey me if they saw that I had to do what a strange woman
told me? It would not do at all."
Just then they were passing the ruins of Titheburgh Abbey. It was
almost dark, for the winter's evening was closing in rapidly, when
suddenly Dorothy gave a little shriek, for from behind a ruined wall
there rose up an armed mysterious figure with something white behind
it. Next second she saw that it was Jeremy, who had returned from
shooting, and was apparently waiting for them.
"O Jeremy, how you frightened me! What is it?"

"I want to speak to him," was the laconic reply.
Ernest stood still, wondering what was coming.
"Look here! You told a lie to try to save me from catching it this
morning. You said that you began it. You didn't, I began it. I'd have
told him too," and he jerked his thumb in the direction of Dum's Ness,
"only my mouth was so full of words that I could not get it out. But I
want to say I thank you, and here, take the dog. He's a nasty tempered
devil, but he'll grow very fond of you if you are kind to him;" and
seizing the astonished Nails by the collar, he thrust him towards Ernest.
For a moment there was a struggle in Ernest's mind, for he greatly
longed to possess a bull-terrier dog; but his gentleman-like feeling
prevailed. "I don't want the dog, and I didn't do anything in particular."
"Yes, you did, though," replied Jeremy, greatly relieved that Ernest did
not accept his dog, which he loved, "or at least you did more than
anybody ever did before; but I tell you what, I'll do as much for you
one day. I'll do anything you like."
"Will you, though?" answered Ernest, who was a sharp youth, and
opportunely remembered Dorothy's request.
"Yes, I will."
"Well, then, come to this fellow Halford with me; I don't want to go
alone."
Jeremy slowly rubbed his face with the back of an exceedingly dirty
hand. This was more than he had bargained for, but his word was his
word.
"All right," he answered. "I'll come." Then whistling to his dog he
vanished into the shadows. Thus began a friendship between these two
that endured all their lives.
CHAPTER IV

BOYS TOGETHER
Jeremy kept his word. On the appointed day he appeared ready, as he