he plot had been well devised and all the
necessary preparations made.

The boatmen were bidden to row to Woolwich. This point reached, they
were asked to proceed to Gravesend. Then they rowed on to Tilbury. By
this time they were fatigued, and landed for rest and refreshment. But
the desired goal had not yet been reached, and an offer of higher pay
induced them to push on to Lee.

Here the fugitive lady rested till daybreak. The light of morn
discovered a French vessel at anchor off the harbor, which was quickly
boarded. It had been provided for the escape of the lovers. But Seymour,
who had planned to escape from the Tower and meet her here, had not
arrived. Arabella was desirous that the vessel should continue at anchor
until he appeared. If he should fail to come she did not care to
proceed. The land that held her lord was the land in which she wished to
dwell, even if they should be parted by fate and forced to live asunder.

This view did not please those who were aiding her escape. They would be
pursued, and might be overtaken. Delay was dangerous. In disregard of
her wishes, they ordered the captain to put to sea. As events turned
out, their haste proved unfortunate for the fair fugitive, and the
"cause of woes unnumbered" to the loving pair.

Leaving her to her journey, we must return to the adventures of Seymour.
Prisoner at large, as he was, in the Tower, escape proved not difficult.
A cart had entered the enclosure to bring wood to his apartment. On its
departure he followed it through the gates, unobserved by the warder.
His servant was left behind, with orders to keep all visitors from the
room, on pretence that his master was laid up with a raging toothache.

Reaching the river, the escaped prisoner found a man in his confidence
in waiting with a boat. He was rowed down the stream to Lee, where he
expected to find his Arabella in waiting. She was not there, but in the
distance was a vessel which he fancied might have her on board. He
hired a fisherman to take him out. Hailing the vessel, he inquired its
name, and to his grief learned that it was not the French ship which had
been hired for the lovers' flight. Fate had separated them. Filled with
despair, he took passage on a vessel from Newcastle, whose captain was
induced, for a fair consideration, to alter his course. In due time he
landed in Flanders, free, but alone. He was never to set eyes on
Arabella Stuart again.

Meanwhile, the escape of th