"I don't know, father. I was passing through the shed at the time and
didn't see who spoke, I only heerd 'im."
"Father," said Leo, over whose face a deep crimson flush had spread,
"_surely_ you don't for a moment believe it?"
"Believe it," replied John, "believe that my mate, Will Garvie, is a
thief? I'd as soon believe that my Molly was a murderer!"
The energetic driver here struck his fist so violently on the bed as to
cause his wounded side an acute twinge of pain. It had scarcely passed
away when the door opened and Will Garvie himself entered.
"Well, Jack," he said, going up to his friend's couch and taking his
hand, "how d'you feel now--better?"
The frank open countenance of the young man--albeit begrimed with smoke,
and his clear laughing blue eyes, were such a flat contradiction to the
charge which had been made against him that John looked up in his face
and laughed.
"Well, you _must_ be better, if that's the way you answer me!"
"Oh, I'm all right," said John, quietly; "leastwise I'm on the rails
agin, an' only shunted on to a sidin' to be overhauled and repaired a
bit. You've heard the noos, I fancy?"
"What of Bob's appointment?" said Will, glancing at Loo; for he knew
that anything that was for Bob's advantage gave her intense delight, and
he liked to watch her countenance in such circumstances--"of course I've
heard of that. Moreover, I've bin to the locomotive superintendent and
got leave to go over with him to-morrow and show him through the works,
along with any of his family that might want to go. I made a special
request for this, thinkin' that mayhap--"
He looked pointedly at Loo, and Loo looked pointedly at the pinafore
which suddenly claimed her undivided attention. Bob, before Will could
finish his sentence, broke in with--
"Now, _ain't_ that a su'cumstance? w'y, we was just talkin' of havin'
mother over to see the works, an' lettin' her be convinced by her own
eyes that there is a hammer there of five ton weight, drove by steam,
an' a pair o' scissors as can cut cold iron an inch thick. You'll go
mother, won't you?"
"Well, I dessay it would be amoosin'; yes, I'll go, Bob, if father's
better."
Accordingly, much to Will Garvie's disappointment it was arranged that
Mrs Marrot was to accompany him and Bob to the great railway "Works" on
the following day.