Collected works > Edinburgh edition, 1894-98 - Works of Robert Louis Stevenson > Volume 7, 1895 - Tales and Fantasies, Volume II

BATTLE ROYAL
and no natural affections to steady him. His father
was no society for him ; he must go fuddling with a
Dutchman, Nance, and now he's caught. Let us
pray he '11 take the lesson,' he added, more gravely,
* but youth is here to make troubles, and age to pull
them out again.'
Nance whimpered and recalled several episodes of
Dick's childhood, which moved Mr. Naseby to blow
his nose and shake her hard by the hand ; and then,
the horse having arrived opportunely, to get himself
without delay into the saddle and canter off.
He rode straight, hot spur, to Thymebury, where,
as was to be expected, he could glean no tidings of
the runaways. They had not been seen at the
George ; they had not been seen at the station.
The shadow darkened on Mr. Naseby 's face; the
junction did not occur to him ; his last hope was for
Van Tromp's cottage ; thither he bade George guide
him, and thither he followed, nursing grief, anxiety,
and indignation in his heart.
' Here it is, sir,' said George, stopping.
' What ! on my own land ! ' he cried. ' How 's
this ? I let this place to somebody — M' Whirter or
M'Glashan.'
' Miss M'Glashan was the young lady's aunt, sir,
I believe,' returned George.
' Ay— dummies,' said the Squire. ' I shall whistle
for my rent too. Here, take my horse.'
The Admiral, this hot afternoon, was sitting by
the window with a long glass. He already knew the
Squire by sight, and now, seeing him dismount
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