o make a clean breast of it--an expedient which he
conceived to be insusceptible of danger, for he could see that the
funeral party were already on the brow of the hill. So, with one foot
stretched forward as if in the preliminary stage of a hurried
leave-taking, the blacksmith told Liza that he had met the
schoolmaster that morning, and had gathered enough from a word the
little man had dropped without thought to put him upon the trace of
the old garrulous body with whom the schoolmaster lodged; that his
mother, Mistress Garth, had undertaken the office of sounding this
person, and had learned that Ralph had hinted that he would relieve
Robbie Anderson of his duty at the top of the Stye Head Pass.

Having heard this, Liza had heard enough, and she was not unwilling
that the blacksmith should make what speed he could out of her sight,
so that she in turn might make what speed she could out of his sight,
and, returning to the Moss without delay, communicate her fearful
burden of intelligence to Rotha.

CHAPTER XII. THE FLIGHT ON THE FELLS.

I. After going a few paces in order to sustain the appearance of
continuing the journey on which she had set out, Liza waited until the
blacksmith was far enough away to admit of retracing her steps to the
bridge. There she climbed the wooden fence, and ran with all speed
across the fields to Shoulthwaite. She entered the house in a fever of
excitement, but was drawn back to the porch by Rotha, who experienced
serious difficulty in restraining her from a more public exposition of
the facts with which she was full to the throat than seemed well for
the tranquillity of the household. With quick-coming breath she
blurted out the main part of her revelations, and then paused, as much
from physical exhaustion as from an overwhelming sense of the
threatened calamity.

Rotha was quick to catch the significance of the message communicated
in Liza's disjointed words. Her pale face became paler, the sidelong
look that haunted her eyes came back to them at this moment, her
tremulous lips trembled visibly, and for a few minutes she stood
apparently powerless and irresolute.

Then the light of determination returned to the young girl's face.
Leaving Liza in the porch, she went into the house for her cloak and
hood. When she rejoined her companion her mind was made up to a daring
enterprise.

"The men of Wythburn, such of them as we can trust," she said, "are in
the funeral train. W