He assisted her to rise, and she took his arm, and they advanced to meet the whelp. He was idly beating the branches as he lounged along: or he stooped viciously to rip the moss from the trees with his stick. He was startled when they came upon him while he was engaged in this latter pastime, and his colour changed.
‘ Halloa!’ he stammered; ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘ Whose name, Tom,’ said Mr. Harthouse, putting his hand upon his shoulder and turning him, so that they all three walked towards the house together, ‘have you been carving on the trees?’
‘ Whose name?’ returned Tom. ‘Oh! You mean what girl’s name?’
‘ You have a suspicious appearance of inscribing some fair creature’s on the bark, Tom.’
‘ Not much of that, Mr. Harthouse, unless some fair creature with a slash
