n at rest. By and by she conceived she overheard a noise
as of buzzing and low-muttered speech. Her heart palpitated; for a
second time she began to doubt the honesty of Grimes. The suggestion was
now more anxious than before; but it was too late. Presently she heard
the sound of a key in her chamber-door, and the rustic made his
appearance. She started, and cried, "Are we discovered? did not I hear
you speak?" Grimes advanced on tiptoe with his finger to his lip. "No,
no," replied he, "all is safe!" He took her by the hand, led her in
silence out of the house, and then across the garden. Emily examined
with her eye the doors and passages as they proceeded, and looked on all
sides with fearful suspicion; but every thing was as vacant and still as
she herself could have wished. Grimes opened a back-door of the garden
already unlocked, that led into an unfrequented lane. There stood two
horses ready equipped for the journey, and fastened by their bridles to
a post not six yards distant from the garden. Grimes pushed the door
after them.

"By Gemini," said he, "my heart was in my mouth. As I comed along to
you, I saw Mun, coachey, pop along from the back-door to the stables. He
was within a hop, step, and jump of me. But he had a lanthorn in his
hand, and he did not see me, being as I was darkling." Saying this, he
assisted Miss Melville to mount. He troubled her little during the
route; on the contrary, he was remarkably silent and contemplative, a
circumstance by no means disagreeable to Emily, to whom his conversation
had never been acceptable.

After having proceeded about two miles, they turned into a wood, through
which the road led to the place of their destination. The night was
extremely dark, at the same time that the air was soft and mild, it
being now the middle of summer. Under pretence of exploring the way,
Grimes contrived, when they had already penetrated into the midst of
this gloomy solitude, to get his horse abreast with that of Miss
Melville, and then, suddenly reaching out his hand, seized hold of her
bridle. "I think we may as well stop here a bit," said he.

"Stop!" exclaimed Emily with surprise; "why should we stop? Mr. Grimes,
what do you mean?"

"Come, come," said he, "never trouble yourself to wonder. Did you think
I were such a goose, to take all this trouble merely to gratify your
whim? I' faith, nobody shall find me a pack-horse, to go of other folks'
errands, without knowing a reason why.