"Don't I always see you safe and sound up at the house?" Maxwell said
good-humoredly, "and do you know it has struck four ten minutes ago?
When you and my old woman get together to have a crack, as the saying
is, you don't know how time passes. We shall have to run for it."

Milly was being rapidly covered up in a thick plaid by Mrs. Maxwell.

"There now, my dearie, good-bye till next I see you, and don't be
doleful in that big house by yourself. Your uncle will soon be well, and
nurse will be better able to see after you. I don't know what all those
servants are after that they can't amuse you a bit."

"Nurse doesn't like me ever to go near the servants' hall," said Milly;
"I promised her I wouldn't. Sarah stays in the nursery with me, but she
runs away downstairs pretty often. Good-bye, Mrs. Maxwell."

It was getting dark. Maxwell soon had the child in his strong arms, and
was striding along at a great pace, when passing a rather dark corner, a
man suddenly sprang out of the bushes and took to his heels.

Maxwell shouted out wrathfully: "Let me see you in here again, and it
will be the worse for you, you scoundrel!"

"Oh, Maxwell," cried Milly, "who is it?"

"One of them skulking poachers--they're always in here after the
rabbits. If I hadn't a-had you to look after and had my thick stick I
would a-been after him."

"But you wouldn't have hurt him?"