Henry, it is true, accompanied them, and took from
their walk the air of a tete-a-tete, while, in reality, it was little
else, considering the variety of circumstances which occurred to prevent
the boy from giving the least attention to what passed between his
companions. Now a rook settled on a branch within shot; anon a hare
crossed their path, and Henry and his greyhound went astray in pursuit
of it; then he had to hold a long conversation with the forester, which
detained him a while behind his companions; and again he went to examine
the earth of a badger, which carried him on a good way before them.
The conversation betwixt the Master and his sister, meanwhile, took
an interesting, and almost a confidential, turn. She could not help
mentioning her sense of the pain he must feel in visiting scenes so well
known to him, bearing now an aspect so different; and so gently was
her sympathy expressed, that Ravenswood felt it for a moment as a full
requital of all his misfortunes. Some such sentiment escaped him, which
Lucy heard with more of confusion than displeasure; and she may be
forgiven the imprudence of listening to such language, considering that
the situation in which she was placed by her father seemed to authorise
Ravenswood to use it.
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