trees. He knew that if he tried to get over the wall I should catch
him, and that there was no other way out, as I had locked the gate.
It was heavy running, and we both began to get weary. Then I caught
my foot in a briar and fell. Immediately the young man rushed to the
wall and began scrambling up it, but just as he was drawing his leg
over the top I caught him by the heel. For a moment he struggled and
kicked, then by sheer weight I brought him down at my feet, and an
armful of masonry along with him. I caught him by the neck and tried
to ask his name, but found we were too breathless to speak.

For I do not know how long we sat glaring at each other, and gasping
painfully. Then by degrees I began to upbraid him in a whisper for
coming over a person's wall to steal his apples, when he was such a
fine, well-dressed, grownup young man. I could see that he was in
mortal dread that I might have him up in the police courts, which I
had no intention of doing, and when I finally asked him his name and
address he invented a long story of how he lived six miles away, and
had come over to this neighbourhood for Mass and to see a friend,
and then how he had got a drought upon him, and thought an apple
would put him in spirits for his walk home. Then he swore he would
never come over the wall again if I would let him off, and that he
would pray God to have mercy on me when my last hour was come. I
felt sure his whole story was a tissue of lies, and I did not want
him to have the crow of having taken me in. 'There is a woman
belonging to the place,' I said, 'inside in the house helping the
girl to cook the dinner. Walk in now with me, and we'll see if
you're such a stranger as you'd have me think.' He looked infinitely
troubled, but I took him by the neck and wrist and we set off for
the gate. When we had gone a pace or two he stopped. 'I beg your
pardon,' he said, 'my cap's after falling down on the over side of