Lawrence Clavering

the moon sailed through a clear sky; upon the trees in the Wilderness the rain-drops glistened with a sprightly brilliancy like the silver lamps of fair

with an interval between us that we might the sooner end our search, and so doing we quickly lost sight of one another. I made directly so far as I could guess for the bushes above which I had seen th

aith was a presence in the garden, and the garden its most fitting habitation. For now that I had left the open, and was circled about with the boskage, I moved through a world shadowy and fantastic. The shadows of the branches laced the floor of mist in a grotesque pattern, and amongst them my shadow moved an

band dead through me as surely as though my hand had pulled the trigger and the young wife as surely widowed! And when I rose and continued my search, that sound pursued me. It was as though the children ran after me, with many steps to my one stride. I was like the Dutch piper they tell of in story-books, who led the little children in a long train from Hamlin town; o

he cry of a woman. I hurried in that direction as quickly as the long wet grass allowed, and in a little I came to an open space. Mrs. Herbert was kneel

s again into the mist and began to croon over to herself a little tender lullaby such as mothers will sing about a cradle. I noticed that she move

ome thing to you in all the world. Yet I must offer it and you must

st my arms aside, repulsing me. The moonlight shone

tain;" and with a sudden movement she caught hold of a hand, of mine, and p

d, and in my turn I dipped my hands into the curling mist. She gave a shrill scream, as though I had laid violent hands on her, sprang to her feet, a

hed was a fall

was no one there. I ran down the road. At the gates I saw ahead of me in the darkness the flutter of a dress.

ed mine. In a little her run became a walk, and so keeping behind her I f

ed at the outset, and I saw something which made the hope spring again in my breast The grass for some yards was trampled and crushed as though from a struggle. I picked up a shred of lace; it might have been torn in a struggle from a ruffle or cravat. I dropped upon my knees and searched in the grass; in a little I came upon a pistol--it was the pistol which I had noticed in Mr. Herbert's lodging, and, moreover, it was discharge

d capture seemed to me so small a thing in the revulsion of my feelings. Of the reason for his capture I did not conjecture at all; I stood with an intense feeling of gratefulness softening at my heart and dimming my eyes. Then I remembered that there was o

he lifted his head and seemed to look for the spot whence the shout came. But he did not in any measure slacken his pace. I shouted again, and he caught si

t disorder, "back--back to the trees;" a

d the c

ke, Master La

saw, and putting out a foot tripped me up witho

" I spluttered

sir, to the trees;" and he stooped to help me to my feet. Then, "It's too l

e. Look!" and he nodd

little parlour, then another and an

f only we had reached the trees!" And he stretched himself flat

" I whispered, imi

rned. "I must

hy

e, and Mr."--he paused over the

e press of trouble which these last twelve hou

replie

with King George's soldiers, did he? Aron, or Ashlock, I take it, I should call you, when next Mr. Jer

shook his he

"that Mr. Jervas is fo

replied, "and indeed for m

ing when I had seen Jervas Rookley

, and then a new thought flashed in upon me. "I

y came by the highroad. Else

they are not all the soldiers in Cumber

red. "But we must rea

inst a spur, and a voice cry "Halt," or to see a shadow fall from behind my shoulder across the grass in front. "I must not be taken," I said to myself, yet knew full well that I might, "I must not be ta

my side utt

ne in an extremity of exhaustion, his face purple, and the v

ould crack; and all the while the screen of grass was close about our eyes and the sun burning upon our backs and heads. At last a shadow fell between the sun and us. I stopped with a groan

lock. "It is the shad

s us. We crawled forward again, past a tree-trunk, then another, then another, and in a minute I was standing up behind a shrub, and Ashlock

ering line as though by the clumsiest scytheman. And it led straight to this bush. In a very short while the soldiers must see it. I sprang to Ashlock. It was no less than a necessity that

inst the hillside, and had been constructed by Jervas Rookley during the lifetime of his father. It consisted of no more than a number of iron pegs driven into the interstices of the stone wall and hidd

will get back into the house unnoticed, make sure of that! And to-day yo

t dead," and added thereto my initials. "Now good-bye. Be instant with the message! I doubt me but it i

called o

ere I can have news of you. It

ater's, but be careful how you come there lest you imperil

oken voice of apology, "my father

y right," and I patted him gently on the shoulder. "It is just for that reaso

u were Sir John

h which he spoke c

a choice to be made, you would

re a cry rang out from the garden. I

ks in the grass. Quick! That note must reach K

and yet the moment he had turned the corner and was clean out of my sight, I wished him back again. I was, in truth, sunk to such a depth of shame and self-contempt as made this old servant's go

hrough. I had proved false to Mr. Herbert; I had been juggled like the merest fool in my service to the King. I had but to turn, and over against me I could see the very spot where I had forced Jervas Rookley to make his vow of concealment upon his knees, and a little lower down the winding path, where I had come to my knees and Jervas Rookley had sat his horse over me. Well, I had kept faith with him, at all events, and how had he kept faith with me? The red-coats sprinkled in the

Derwentwater over against Rampsholme Island. About a mile to the east of the wood was a fisherman's cottage with which I was sufficiently familiar, since the fisherman had ferried me over often enough to Lord's Islan

t a word. I thought it best not to openly knock at the door, but crept round to a room wherein I knew Lord Derwentwater was used t

asked Lord

the sill and clim