The Australians 06 - The Colonists by William Stuart Long

Author:William Stuart Long [Long, William Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780440113423
Google: tmDLAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0440113423
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1984-06-01T14:00:00+00:00

Claus had ridden fast, and a little after sundown he led his weary horse into the stables at the rear of the Van Burens’ house. One of the convict grooms, Amos Bryant, took his mount from him and told him, grinning, that he was in luck.

“Madam never spotted as the ‘oss was missin’—didn’t want the carriage all day, for a wonder. An’ what the eye don’t see, the heart don’t grieve about, eh? You cut along, young Claus, an’ leave ‘im to me. I’ll rub ‘im down an’ feed ‘im, an’ she won’t never know ‘e’s bin away. Did you deliver the little lass safe an’ sound?”

Claus nodded, too spent to do more than mumble his thanks. In the kitchen, all the indoor servants crowded round him, asking the same question, and again he answered it with a wordless inclination of his small dark head.

Arifin, the old cook, set a steaming plate of savoury rice before him; Tjoe, the scullion, brought him water; and Saleh said, regarding him with unfeigned approval, “You have done well, little lip-lap, exceedingly well. To have returned so soon has removed all danger of discovery, I think. I have told mevrouw that the constable came for Alice in the early hours, before she had risen, and she did not doubt my word—neither did she ask for you. She has other things on her mind, and all day she has been out with Mijnheer Willoughby, going in a sailboat across the harbour.”

He paused, patting Claus gently on the head. “Only the constable had doubts, but to him I said that we had ourselves taken Alice to Parramatta and did not need his help. He grumbled a little, but I gave him a glass of mijnheer’s best brandy, and he departed in happy humour, Allah be praised!”

Claus ate hungrily, enjoying the general interest and approval, but he would, he knew, have to tell them that his swift return was the result of the encounter with the young English man of God, when he and Alice had been only some five or six miles beyond Parramatta. He waited, crouched over the table, cramming rice into his mouth with his fingers.

Then Saleh asked, “How did Mevrouw Dawson receive the little one?” and there was no way that he could avoid admitting the truth.

“I did not take her to Mevrouw Dawson’s, Saleh,” he blurted out.

“You did not take her to Upwey Farm?”

Claus hung his head. “No, I . . .” he gulped. “We met a young gentleman on the road, driving in a small carriage. He was a man of God, what the English call a chaplain—a good man, I am sure. He was on his way to Windsor, as were we also, and he offered to take Alice there in his carriage, to enable me to return here quickly with mevrouw’s horse. She was willing—Saleh, Alice said she would go with him. So I did not protest.”

There was silence. Saleh stood frowning down at him.

“The gentleman, the man of God—he was young, you say?”

“Yes, and newly arrived here, he told us.

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