There came a pause after the conspirators were gone, and the Duke of
Berwick gazed down upon the floor for a moment or two, as if thinking
of what was next to be done.
"I shall be obliged to stop," he said at length, "for an hour or so,
till my horses can feed, for they want refreshment sadly. To say the
truth, I want some myself, if I can obtain it. I must go down to the
stable, and see; for though that is not exactly the place to procure
food for a man, yet, in all probability, I shall get it nowhere else.
I found the good master of the house, indeed, who is an old
acquaintance of mine, hid in the farthest nook of his own stable,
terrified out of his life, and assuring me that there would certainly
be bloodshed up stairs."
"I will go down and look for him, your grace," replied Captain
Byerly, coming more forward than he had hitherto done. "You will find
no lack of provisions, depend upon it, in Monsieur Plessis's house."
"One moment, sir," said the Duke, stopping him as he was going: "have
I not seen your face before?"
"Long ago, sir, long ago," replied the Captain. "I had the honour of
commanding a troop, sir, in your regiment, during all that sad
business in Ireland--Byerly is my name."
"I remember you well, sir," said the Duke, "and your good services.
Should we meet in France, I may be able to repay them--especially if
your views are still of a military kind."
Byerly bowed his head, without reply, but looked much gratified; and
while he proceeded to look for Plessis, the Duke once more turned to
the Lady Helen.
"I am sorry," he said, "to hear, from your account, madam, that an
accident has happened to Miss Villars. I have been so long absent
from St. Germain myself, that it is not very long since I heard of
her father's death. May I inquire if she is seriously hurt? for I
should apprehend that, after what has occurred, persons holding our
opinions would run considerable risks in this country, and be
subjected to a persecution even more severe than heretofore."
The Lady Helen replied simply that her young friend was seriously
hurt, and could not be removed; but she avoided carefully all
reference to the nature of the injury she had received. The Duke then
turned the conversation to indifferent subjects, spoke cheerfully and
gaily with Lady Laura and Wilton, and showed that calm sort of
equanimity in circumstances of danger and difficulty which is partly a
gift of nature, and partly an acquisition wrung from many perils and
evils endured. Ere long, Byerly returned with Plessis, and food and
wine were speedily procured. The tables were set in order, and the
Duke remained for about a quarter of an hour refreshing himself;
while Wilton and the two ladies continued to converse with him,
delaying their departure at his request, lest any of the more
unscrupulous conspirators should still be lingering in the
neighbourhood.
Plessis, however, was evidently uneasy; and he did not scruple at
length to express his fear, that amongst all the events of that
night, something might have happened to call the attention of the
world at large upon what was going on in his dwelling.
Wilton's apprehensions, in regard to the Duke, were somewhat of the
same nature; for he remembered that Arden, the Messenger, whom he now
knew to be a thorough coward, had fled at the beginning of the whole
business, and would most likely return accompanied by as large a
force as he could raise in the neighbourhood.
These fears he failed not to communicate to the Duke of Berwick; but
that nobleman looked up with a gay smile, replying, "My good sir,
my horse can go no farther. I rode one to death yesterday, and this
one, which I bought in London, is already knocked up: if I must be
caught like a rat in a rat-trap, as well here as anywhere."
"But will it not be better," said Wilton, "to accompany me and the
Lady Laura to High Halstow, where you can instantly procure a horse?
We must proceed thither on foot. I suppose you are not likely to be
known in this part of the country, and my being with you may shield
you from some danger."
"By no means a bad plan," said the Duke, starting up--"let us go at
once! When anything feasible is proposed, we should lose no time in
executing it."
Wilton was ready to depart, and Lady Laura was eager to do so. Every
moment, indeed, of their stay made her feel fresh apprehensions lest
that night should not be destined to close without some more painful
event still, than those which she had already witnessed.
She turned, however, to the Lady Helen before she went, and with the
peculiar sort of quiet grace which distinguished her, approached her
gently and kissed her cheek, saying, "I can never thank you
sufficiently, dear lady, for the kindness you have shown me, or the
deliverance which I owe, in the first place, to you; and I thank you
for the kindness you have shown me here, as much as for my
deliverance: for if it had not been for the comfort it gave me, I do
believe I should have sunk under the sorrow, and agitation, and
terror, which I felt when I was first brought hither. I hope and
believe, however, that I do not leave you here never to see you
again."
Lady Helen smiled, and laid her hand gently upon Wilton's arm.
"There is a link between him and me, lady," she said, "which can
never be broken; and I shall often, I hope, hear of your welfare from
him, for I trust that you will see him not infrequently."
Lady Laura blushed slightly, but she was not one to suffer any fine
or noble feeling of the heart to be checked by such a thing as false
shame.
"I trust I shall," she answered, raising her eyes to Wilton's face--"
I trust I shall see him often, very often; and I shall never see him,
certainly, without feelings of pleasure and gratitude. You do not
know that this is the second time he has delivered me from great
danger."
The Duke of Berwick smiled, not, indeed, at Lady Laura's words, but
at the blush that came deeper and deeper into her cheek as she spoke.
He made no observation, however, but changed the conversation by
addressing Wilton, "Wherever I am to procure a horse under your good
guidance, my dear sir," he said, "I must, I believe, take another
name than my own; for though Berwick and London are very distant
places, yet there might be compulsory means found of bringing them
unpleasantly together. You must call me, therefore, Captain
Churchill, if you please;--a name," he added, with a sigh, "which,
very likely, the gentleman who now fills the throne of England might
be very well inclined to bestow upon me himself. Lady Helen, I wish
you good night, and take my leave. Master Plessis, I leave the horse
with you: he never was worth ten pounds, and now he's not worth five;
so you may sell him to pay for my entertainment."
Bowing to the very ground from various feelings of respect, French,
English, and Jacobite, Plessis took a candle and lighted the Duke
down stairs, while Wilton followed, accompanied by Laura and Captain
Byerly. The outer door was then opened, and the whole party issued
forth into the field which surrounded the house, finding themselves
suddenly in the utter darkness of a moonless, starless, somewhat
foggy night.
From the little stone esplanade, which we have mentioned, lay a
winding road up to the gate in the walls, and along that Wilton and
his companion turned their steps, keeping silence as they went, with
the listening ear bent eagerly to catch a sound. It was not, indeed,
a sense of general apprehension only which made Wilton listen so
attentively, for, in truth, he had fancied at the very moment when
they were issuing forth from the house, that he had heard a low
murmur as if of people talking at some distance.
The same sound had met the ears of the Duke of Berwick, and had
produced the same effect; but nothing farther was heard till they
reached the gate, and Wilton's hand was stretched out to open it;
when suddenly a loud "Who goes there?" was pronounced on the opposite
side of the gate, and half-a-dozen men, who had been lying in the
inside of the wall, surrounded the party on all sides.
Several persons now spoke at once. "Who goes there?" cried one voice
again; but at the same time another exclaimed, "Call up the
Messenger, call up the Messenger from the other gate."
These last words gave Wilton some satisfaction, though they were by
no means pleasant to the ears of the Duke of Berwick.
The former, however, replied to the challenge, "A friend!" and
instantly added, "God save King William!"
"God save King William!" cried one of the voices: "you cry that on
compulsion, I've a notion. Pray, who are you that cry `God save King
William'?"
"My name, sir, is Wilton Brown," replied the young gentleman,
"private secretary to the Earl of Byerdale. Where is the Messenger
who came down with me? Be so good as to call him up immediately."
"Oh! you are the young gentleman who came down with the Messenger,
are you?" said one of the others: "he was in a great taking lest you
should be murdered."
"It was not his fault," replied Brown, somewhat bitterly, "that I was
not murdered; and if it had not been for Captain Churchill and this
other gentleman, who came to my assistance at the risk of their
lives, I certainly should have been assassinated by the troop of
Jacobites and smugglers amongst whom I fell."
The Duke of Berwick could not refrain from a low laugh at the
description given of the persons whom they had just seen; but Wilton
spoke loud again, in order to cover the somewhat ill-timed merriment
of his companion, asking of the person who had replied, "Pray, who
are you, sir?"
"I am head constable of High Halstow," replied the man, "and I
remained here with our party, while Master Arden and the rest, with
the soldiers from Hoo, went round to the other gate."
"Why did not the cowardly rascal go in by this gate himself,"
demanded Wilton, "instead of putting you, my friend, at the post of
danger?"
"Ay, it was shabby enough of him," replied the man; "but I don't fear
anything; not I."
"I'm afraid, my good fellows, it is too late," replied Wilton. "All
the gang have got off near an hour ago. If that stupid Messenger had
known what he was about, this affair would have had a different
result; but he ran away at the first shot that was fired--Have you
sent for him?" he continued, after a moment's pause.
"Oh yes, sir, we've sent for him," said the man, "though it's not
much use, if they are all gone, sir."
"Oh yes," replied Wilton, "you may as well make a good search amongst
the grounds and in the hedges. It will say something for your
activity, at all events. I shall go on to Halstow, but I wish one or
two of you would just show us the way, and when Arden comes up, tell
him to come after me immediately. I have a great mind to put him
under arrest, and send him up to the Earl, for his bad conduct."
The tone in which Wilton spoke, and the very idea of his arresting
the arrestor of all men, and sending up the Messenger of State as a
common prisoner to London, proved so impressive with the personages
he addressed, that they made not the slightest opposition to his
purpose of proceeding, but sent one of their number to show him the
way.
Accompanied, therefore, by Lady Laura, the Duke of Berwick, and
Captain Byerly, Wilton proceeded as fast as possible up the lane.
When they had gone about a hundred yards, however, he said, "Captain
Churchill, will you have the kindness to give the lady your arm? I
will follow you somewhat more slowly, for I want to speak a few words
to this fellow Arden.--He must not see you, if it can be avoided,"
he added, in a low tone; "and I think I hear him coming."
It was indeed as Wilton imagined. Arden had come round with all
speed, and joined the head constable of High Halstow, demanding
eagerly, "Where is Mr. Brown?"
"He is gone on," replied the constable, "with the other gentlemen;
and a mighty passion he is in, too, at you, Mr. Arden. He vows that
you left him to be murdered, and that he would have been murdered
too, if it had not been for that Captain Churchill that is with him."
"Captain Churchill!" cried the Messenger--"Captain Churchill! Why,
Captain Churchill was sick in bed yesterday morning, to my certain
knowledge!"
After a moment's thought, however, he concluded that the person who
chose to assume that name might be Lord Sherbrooke, and he asked,
"What sort of a man was he? Was he a slight young gentleman, about my
height?"
"Oh bless you, no," replied the constable. "There wasn't one of them
that was not three or four inches taller than you."
"Captain Churchill!" said the Messenger--"Captain Churchill!" and he
added, in a lower voice, "I'll bet my life this is some d---d
Jacobite, who has imposed himself upon this foolish boy for Captain
Churchill. I'll be after them, and see."
Thus saying, he set off at full speed after Wilton and his party, and
reached them within a minute after that gentleman had dropped behind.
"Is that you, Mr. Arden?" demanded Wilton, as he came up. "Stop a
moment, I wish to speak to you."
"And I wish to go on, and see who you've got there, sir," said Arden,
in a somewhat saucy tone, at the same time endeavouring to pass
Wilton.
"Stop, sir!" cried the young gentleman, catching him by the collar.
"Do you mean to say, that you will now disobey my orders, after
having left me to provide for my own security, with the dastardly
cowardice that you have displayed? Did not the Earl direct you to
obey me in everything?"
"I will answer it all to the Earl," replied the man, in an insolent
tone. "If he chooses to put me under a boy, I do not choose to be
collared by one. Let me go, Mr. Brown, I say."
"I order you, sir," said Brown, without loosing his hold, "to go
instantly back, and aid the people in searching the grounds of that
house!--now, let me see if you will disobey!"
"I will search here first, though," said the man. "By, I believe
that's Sir George Barkley, on before there. He's known to be in
England. Let me go, Mr. Brown, I say, or worse will come of it!" and
he put his hand to his belt, as if seeking for a pistol.
Without another word, Wilton instantly knocked him down with one blow
of his clenched fist, and at the same moment he called out aloud,
"Captain Byerly! and you constable, who are showing the way--come back
here, and take this man into custody, and bear witness that he
refuses to search for the Jacobites in the way I order him.
Constable, I shall want you to take him to town in custody this
night. I will show you my warrant for what I do when we get to the
inn."
The two persons whom he addressed came back instantly at his call;
and when the Messenger rose--considerably crest-fallen from Wilton's
sudden application to measures which he had not expected--he found
himself collared by two strong men, and led along unwillingly upon
the road he had before been treading.
"Do not let him chatter, Captain," Wilton whispered to Captain
Byerly, as he passed on; and then immediately walking forward, he
joined the Duke and the Lady Laura. Byerly, who understood what he
was about, kept the Messenger at some distance behind; but,
nevertheless, some sharp words passing between them reached Wilton's
ear during the first quarter of an hour of their journey; then came a
dogged silence; but at length the voice of Byerly was again heard,
exclaiming, "Mr. Brown, Mr. Arden says, that, if you will overlook
what has passed, he will go back, and do as you order."
"I shall certainly not look over the business," replied Brown, aloud,
"unless he promises not only to obey my orders at present, but also
to make a full apology to me to-morrow."
"He says he will do what you please, sir," replied Byerly; and Wilton
turning back, heard the sullen apologies of the Messenger.
"Mr. Arden," he said, "you have behaved extremely ill, well knowing,
as you do know, that you were placed entirely under my orders.
However, I shall pardon your conduct both upon the first occasion,
and in regard to the present business, if you now do exactly as you
are told. By your running away at the time you ought to have come
forward to assist me, you have lost an opportunity of serving the
state, in a manner which does not occur every day. In regard to the
gentleman who has gone on, and whom you were foolish enough to think
Sir George Barkley, I pledge you my honour that such is not the case.
Sir George Barkley cannot be less than twenty years older than he is,
and may be thirty."
"He's not Captain Churchill, though," replied the man, doggedly.
"Do not begin to speak impertinently again, sir!" said Wilton, in a
sharp tone. "But go back, as I before ordered, with the constable:
you know nothing of who that gentleman is, and my word ought to be
sufficient for you, when I tell you that he has this very night not
only aided me in setting free the Lady Laura, but absolutely saved my
life at the risk of his own from the very gang of Jacobites in whose
hands you most negligently left me. To drop this subject, however, I
have one more caution to give you," he added, in a lower voice. "It
is Lord Sherbrooke's wish that you should say not one syllable in
regard to his share in the events of this night."
"Ay, sir, but I ought to ascertain whether he be safe or not. I know
he has his wild pranks as well as most young men; but still one ought
to know that he's safe."
"If my word for you is not sufficient on that score," replied
Wilton, "you will find him at the house to which I directed you to
go. It is now clear of all its obnoxious tenants, and I doubt not,
Lord Sherbrooke will speak to you for a moment, if you wish it."
Thus saying, Wilton turned upon his heel, and walking quickly onward,
soon overtook the Duke of Berwick and Lady Laura. They were now not
far from High Halstow, and the rest of the way was soon accomplished.
But as they passed into the door of the public-house, Captain Byerly,
who came last, touched Wilton on the arm, and whispered, "Do you know
that fellow is following you?"
"No, indeed," answered Wilton: "what can be done?"
"Go and speak to the master of the house," said Byerly, quickly. "I
will wait here in the door, and take care he does not come in. The
landlord will find means to get the Duke away by the back."
"I dare not trust him," replied Wilton, in the same low tone. "I feel
sure he has betrayed me once to-night already."
"If he did," answered Byerly, hastily, "it was because he thought you
on the wrong side of the question. He's a well-known man hereabouts,
and you may trust him with any secrets on that side."
Wilton followed the Duke of Berwick and Laura as fast as possible,
and found the landlord showing them into a small sanded parlour on
the left hand, after passing a door which swung to and fro with a
pulley.
"Come in here, landlord," he said, as he passed; "come in, and shut
the door. Have you a horse saddled?" he continued.
"I have one that can be saddled in a minute," said the landlord,
looking first at Berwick and then at Wilton.
"Have you any back way," continued Wilton, "by which this gentleman
can get out of the town without going through the street?"
"Ay have I," answered the man; "through our stable, through the
garden, lead the horse down the steps, and then away to Stroud.
There's no missing the way."
"Well then, sir," said Wilton, grasping the Duke's hand, "this is
your only chance for safety. That rascally Messenger has followed us
to the door, and doubtless if there be any magistrates in the
neighbourhood, or constables left in the place, we shall have them
down upon us in ten minutes."
"Come with me, my lord, come with me!" cried the landlord, bursting
into energy in a moment. "I know who you are well enough. But they
shan't catch you here, I warrant you. Come into the stable: there's
not a minute to be lost; for there's old Sir John Bulrush, and Parson
Jeffreys, who's a magistrate too, drinking away up at the rectory
till the people come back from Plessis's house." Berwick lingered
not; but taking a quick leave of Lady Laura, and shaking Wilton's
hand, he followed the landlord from the room. Laura and Wilton stood
silent for a minute or two, listening to every sound, and calculating
how long it might be before the horse was saddled and the Duke upon
his way. Before they imagined it possible, however, the landlord
returned, saying, in a low voice, but with an air of joyful triumph,
"He is gone; and if they were after him this minute, the way through
my garden gives him the start by half a mile."
"And now, landlord," said Wilton, "send off some one on horseback to
get us a conveyance from Stroud to carry this young lady on the way
to London. I suppose such a thing is not to be procured here."
"That there is not," replied the landlord; "and unless I send your
horse, sir, or the Messenger's, or the Captain's, I have none to go."
"Send mine, then, send mine!" replied Wilton. "But here comes Captain
Byerly himself, bringing us news, doubtless."
"No news," answered Byerly, "except that the rascal went up the
street, and I followed him to the door of the parsonage. Your
parson's a magistrate--isn't he, Wicks?"
The landlord gave a nod; and Byerly continued, "By Jove, I'll be off
then, for I'm not fond of magistrates, and he'll be down here soon."
"You had better bid them bring down a chaise for the gentleman and
lady from Stroud," said the landlord. "That will save me from sending
some one on the gentleman's horse."
"No, no, landlord, no, no!" answered Byerly, "you are not up to a
stratagem. Send your ostler with me on Mr. Brown's horse. We'll go
clattering along the street like the devil, if we can but get off
before the justices come down, and they'll take it into their wise
noddles that one of us is the gentleman who has just gone. Come,
Wicks, there's no time to spare. We shall meet again, Mr. Brown; good
night, good night. I shall tell the Colonel that we've done the
business much more tidily than I could have expected." And without
further ceremony he quitted the room.
Another pause ensued, during which but a few words passed between
Wilton and Lady Laura, who sat gazing thoughtfully into the fire.
Wilton stood by the window and listened, thinking he heard some
distant sounds as of persons speaking, and loud tongues at the
further end of the street. A minute after, however, there came the
clatter of horses' feet upon the pavement of the yard; and in
another instant Byerly's voice was heard, saying, "Come, put to your
spurs," and two horses galloped away from the inn as hard as they
could go.