"That's right. I thought ye'd hear reason," he said. And then he lurched
off to his own quarters.
Diana stood where she was for a moment. Suddenly she raised her hands to
her face, and Tim fancied he heard a smothered sob. Without stopping to
think what he was risking, the boy crept out of the shadow where he had
been hidden, and caught hold of her skirts just as she was turning to
mount into the van where the children were.
"Diana," he said breathlessly, "I've heard all he said. You don't mean
to take part with him, do you? You'll never help to sell those pretty
babies like that? I'll do anything--anything you tell me--if you'll join
with me to get them sent home."
In her turn Diana caught hold of him and held him fast.
"Tim," she said, "you want to get off yourself, and you'd do your best
for them. I've seen it. But alone you'd never manage it. I'll help you,
Tim. I won't have it on my conscience that I stood by and saw those
innocents sold to such a life. If it had been to keep them a while
longer with us, I mightn't have done anything, not just yet, not till I
saw a chance. But whatever Mick and the others say, I won't see them
taken away unless it is to go back to their own people."
"That's right, Diana," said Tim.
"And I'll help you.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129