Old Neptune flew to the rescue, and to the
great alarm of Lily, Reginald ran up with a stick; happily, however,
a labourer at the same time came out with a pitchfork, and beat off
the enemy. These two delays, together with Reginald's propensity for
cutting sticks, and for breaking ice, made it quite late when they
arrived at South End. When there, they found that a kind neighbour
had brought the old people their broth in the morning, and intended
to go for her own when she came home from her work in the evening.
It was not often that Lily went to South End; the old people were
delighted to see her, and detained her for some time by a long story
about their daughter at service, while Reginald looked the picture of
impatience, drumming on his knee, switching the leg of the table, and
tickling Neptune's ears. When they left the cottage it was much
later and darker than they had expected; but Lily was unwilling again
to encounter the perils of the lane, and consulted her brother
whether there was not some other way. He gave notice of a cut across
some fields, which would take them into the turnpike road, and Lily
agreeing, they climbed over a gate into a pathless turnip field.
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