"That I will never believe; the King knows everything," said the
simple creature.

You may be sure I rode off at once with my great news to the Hall,
and received very hearty congratulations there. But I could see
that Mr. Allardyce was in some perturbation of mind, and by and by
he took me aside and said:

"That weasel-faced rascal you spoke of was seen about here
yesterday, Humphrey. One of my men told me that he saw such a man
as you described in close talk with a low innkeeper in Morville. I
have not acquainted the ladies; 'tis no use alarming them; but I
don't like it, my boy."

This was a mighty disconcerting piece of news, especially now that
I was on the point of going away for I knew not how long. While I
remained within close call I flattered myself on being an efficient
protector of Mistress Lucy, and I had that warrant always in my
pocket to use against Cyrus Vetch if ever I set eyes on him. And
now I would willingly have resigned my commission, dearly as I
prized it, if I could have found any reasonable ground for
remaining to defend her still. But I knew 'twas impossible, if for
no other reason, because I was little more than a pauper, having
indeed only enough of my twenty pounds left to carry me to
Portsmouth. So I could only fume inwardly, and long that war might
break out again, and that I might capture many of the enemy's
vessels, and win heaps of money and early promotion to the rank of
post captain, and return with my laurels thick upon me to lay all
at Lucy's feet. You may smile at such ambitions in a youngster; but
can you truly say you have not dreamed such dreams yourself?

'Twas with a full heart I set off in the dusk of evening to ride
back to Shrewsbury. I rode slowly, my mind being filled with
forebodings, and I was only roused from my preoccupation by the
sudden appearance of a horseman at the turning of a byroad leading
from Bridgenorth. He was riding rapidly, and we both reined up at
the same moment to avoid a collision. And at that moment my heart
leapt with furious exultation as, in the fading light, I recognized
my old enemy, and my friends', Cyrus Vetch.

"Hold, you villain!" I cried, pulling my horse against his and
drawing my sword. "I have you now, and you will come into
Shrewsbury with me."

Fear struggled with anger in his face. He was in no mind to show
himself in Shrewsbury, where there was that matter of his uncle's
cash box to answer for, to say nothing of a matter