Peveril of the Peak

rescue!

ood people, bring

IV.

ivil Wars. One wary and well-mounted trooper rode about two hundred yards in advance; followed, at about half that distance, by two more, with their carabines advanced, as if ready for action. About one hundred yards behind the advance, came the main body; where the Countess of Derby, mounted on Lady Peveril's ambling palfrey (for her own had been exhausted by the journey from London to Martindale Castle), accompanied by one groom, of approved fidelity, and

nd Whitaker was equally communicative to his comrade Lance, the keeper. "It is strange enough, Master Whitaker," said the latter, when he had heard the case, "and I wish you, being a wise man, would expound it; - why, when we

, man, we fought for the King's person against his warrant, all along from the very beginning; for I

the King's name against his loyal subjects, well fare our stout Knight, say I, who is ready to take them down in the

dhead and Puritan," said Whitaker, "is no ba

n the manor," ans

be jesting, Lance. Bridgenorth is neither hunter

of, with his sour, melancholy face, that woul

west our lady took the child, for fear he should strangle it for putting him in mind of its mother, in some of his tantrums. Under

Master Whitaker, that a certain Mistress Deborah hath manifest

ed Whitaker; "Lance Outram, t

ast night the whole family saw her, as o

n, to have broken it, for thy impert

s about; and so I saw her, through the casement, whip on her hood and scarf as soon as she had a glimpse of me. Immediately after I saw the still-room door open, and made sure she was coming through the garden, and so over the breach and down to the park; and so, thought I, 'Aha, Mistress Deb, if you are so re

ker, "for a weather-headed puppy; but what is

me - Gad, I first walked slow, and then stopped, and then turned back a little, and then began to wonde

"never jackass but would have

eeding, when just by the Copely thorn, which stands, you know, a flight-shor

y?" said t

alk you, that have stalked so many bucks. If so, I had better give my shafts to be pudding pins. So I cast round the thicket,

saw pass between the

hought I had the prettiest girl in the Castle dancing after my whistle, to find that

thou thinkest of nothing else. But it is fitting our Knight should know that he has met with Deborah in secret,

e dame said who kissed her cow - only I do not much approve her choice, that is all. He cannot be six years short of fifty; and a verjuice coun

any matter of love between them, but only some intrigue, concerning, perhaps, this same noble Cou

and the Countess of Derby, what he had just heard from the keeper, adding at the same time his own suspicions, that Master Bridgenorth of Moultrassie Hall was desirous to keep up some system of espia

ose prudence he always respected, and sometimes even dreaded, was maintaining for his private purposes, a clandestine correspondence with a member of his family. If this was for the betrayal of his noble guest, it argued at once treachery and presumption; or, viewing the

, and galloped to the main body with more speed than before, with the unple

e knaves. - Countess of Derby - one word and a short one - Farewell! - you must ride forward with

," said the Countess; "you know of ol

d the rest of my noble friends' family. There is no manly work which can be wor

teep and craggy, and where the road, or rather path, which had hitherto passed over more open ground, became pent

and his mother, proceeded up the pass at a round pace, and with her attendants and escort, was soon out of sight. Immediately after she had disappeared

greyhound on his arm; and he was followed by about eight or ten inhabitants of the village of Martindale Moultrassie, two or th

advancing, he ordered his own people to present their pistols and carabines; and after

dingly, and Major Bridgenort

nt recognised him for the first time - "what makes you ride so sharp th

, "I have not time for jesting

to hold his the better errand," said the Knight, with a smi

mentioned, who was a pursuivant. Then taking the warrant from the offic

ring the warrant to shreds. -"What a plague do you stare at? Do you think you have a monop

t I may be sorry for. I am in this matter the avenger of the blood of one of the Lor

ds over the grounds, nor tamper, as you have done, amongst my servants, with impunity. I have had you in respect for certain kind doings, which I will not either forget or deny, and you will find it difficult to make me draw a sword or bend a pistol against you; bu

let. But Bridgenorth's courage, notwithstanding his having served some time with the Parliament army, was rather of a civil than a military character; and he was inferior to his adversary, not only in strength and horsemanship, but also and especially in the daring and decisive resolution which made Sir Geoffrey thrust himself readily into personal contest. While, therefore, they tugged and grappled together upon terms which bore such

ous duty. "The warrant," he said, "was destroyed. They that did it must be answerabl

- his nag is sorely out of condition. - Come, neighbour Bridgenorth, get up, man - I trust you have ha

t course of law in this matter, yet he was likely to have his offence considered by favourable judges; and therefore it might be as much for their interest and safety to give way as to oppose him. But the rest of the pa

he had come. Sir Geoffrey looked after him for some minutes. "Now, there goes a man," said he, "who would have been a right honest fellow had he not been a Presbyterian. But there is no heartiness about them - they can never forgive a fair fall upon the sod - they bear malice, and that I hate as I do a black cloak, or a

th at a distance, and observing his course from such heights as commanded the country. But it was soon evident that no manoeuvre was intended, and that the Major was taking the

of the mansion readily undertook to conduct the high-minded lady to Liverpool, and the task of seeing her safely embarked for her son's hereditary dominions, where there was no

alousies of those who had to apprehend the consequences of what is called, in our own time, a reaction. At the same time, the high services of this distinguished family - the merits of the Countess herself - the memory of her gallant husband - and the very peculiar circumstances of jurisdiction which took the c