here, indeed."

"Not here, sir?"

"On the word of a gentleman, they left my house an hour ago. Believe me,
sir, they did. I will swear to you if you need."

"I believe Mr. Leigh of Chapel's word without oaths. Whither are they
gone?"

"Nay, sir--how can I tell? They are--they are, as I may say, fled, sir;
escaped."

"With your connivance; at least with your son's. Where are they gone?"

"As I live, I do not know."

"Mr. Leigh--is this possible? Can you add untruth to that treason from
the punishment of which I am trying to shield you?"

Poor Mr. Leigh burst into tears.

"Oh! my God! my God! is it come to this? Over and above having the fear
and anxiety of keeping these black rascals in my house, and having to
stop their villainous mouths every minute, for fear they should hang me
and themselves, I am to be called a traitor and a liar in my old age,
and that, too, by Richard Grenville! Would God I had never been born!
Would God I had no soul to be saved, and I'd just go and drown care in
drink, and let the queen and the Pope fight it out their own way!" And
the poor old man sank into a chair, and covered his face with his hands,
and then leaped up again.

"Bless my heart! Excuse me, Sir Richard--to sit down and leave you
standing. 'S life, sir, sorrow is making a hawbuck of me. Sit down, my
dear sir! my worshipful sir! or rather come with me into my room, and
hear a poor wretched man's story, for I swear before God the men are
fled; and my poor boy Eustace is not home either, and the groom tells me
that his devil of a cousin has broken his jaw for him; and his mother is
all but mad this hour past. Good lack! good lack!"

"He nearly murdered his angel of a cousin, sir!" said Sir Richard,
severely.

"What, sir? They never told me."

"He had stabbed his cousin Frank three times, sir, before Amyas, who is
as noble a lad as walks God's earth, struck him down. And in defence
of what, forsooth, did he play the ruffian and the swashbuckler, but to
bring home to your house this letter, sir, which you shall hear at your
leisure, the moment I have taken order about your priests." And walking
out of the house he went round and called to Cary to come to him.

"The birds are flown, Will," whispered he. "There is but one chance for
us, and that is Marsland Mouth. If they are trying to take boat there,
you may be yet in time. If they are gone inland we can do nothing till
we raise the hue and cry to-morrow."

And Wi