Violet Jacob > Flemington

140
FLEMINGTON
“ I have no time to waste,” said Flemington, his
foot in the stirrup.
“ But ye’ve no tell’t me whaur ye’re gaein’!”
“ Brechin!”
Archie called the word over his shoulder, and
started off at a trot, which he kept up until
he had left the alder-bushes some way behind
him.
Then he broke the seal of his letter, and found
that he was to convey the substance of each
report that he sent in, not only to His Majesty’s
intelligence officer at Perth, but to Captain Hall,
of the English ship Venture, that was lying under
Ferryden. He was to proceed at once to the
vessel, to which further instructions for him
would be sent in a couple of days’ time.
He pocketed the letter and drew a breath of
relief, blessing the encounter that he had just
cursed, for a road of escape from his present
difficulty began to open before him. He must
take to his own feet on the other side of
Brechin, and go straight to the Venture. He
would be close to Montrose, in communication
with it, though not within the precincts of the
town, and safe from the chance of running
against Logie. Balnillo and his brother would
not know what had become of him, and Christian
Flemington would be cured of her suspicions by
the simple testimony of his whereabouts.
He would treat the two days that he had spent
at the judge’s house as if they had dropped out of
his life, and merely report his late presence in