Tell him that, sir!" This was how it came that Austin eyed young Richard seriously while he told the news at Raynham.

The boy was shy of Austin more than of Adrian.
Why, he did not know; but he made it a hard task for Austin to catch him alone, and turned sulky that instant.

Austin was not clever like Adrian: he seldom divined other people's ideas, and always went the direct road to his object; so instead of beating about and setting the boy on the alert at all points, crammed to the muzzle with lies, he just said, "Tom Bakewell told me to let you know he does not intend to peach on you," and left him.
Richard repeated the intelligence to Ripton, who cried aloud that Tom was a brick.
"He shan't suffer for it," said Richard, and pondered on a thicker rope and sharper file.
"But will your cousin tell ?" was Ripton's reflection.
"He!" Richard's lip expressed contempt.

"A ploughman refuses to peach, and you ask if one of our family will ?" Ripton stood for the twentieth time reproved on this point.
The boys had examined the outer walls of the jail, and arrived at the conclusion that Tom's escape might be managed if Tom had spirit, and the rope and file could be anyway reached to him.

But to do this, somebody must gain admittance to his cell, and who was to be taken into their confidence?
"Try your cousin," Ripton suggested, after much debate.
Richard, smiling, wished to know if he meant Adrian.
"No, no!" Ripton hurriedly reassured him.