eadlong close behind her lover.

"Help, ho!" yelled old Sir Isaac. "'Tis the traitor Fenton, with my
daughter! After them--stop them--a Burton--a Burton!" and, mad with
excitement, the angry father set off in hot pursuit. With one accord the
others wheeled about and joined in the chase, uttering cries and
imprecations that rang through the country for a mile around.

"Now have we need of speed!" said Sir Guy, as they galloped together
toward London, whose walls were now visible in the distance. "Soon will
the whole country join the hue-and-cry. The watch will meet us at the
gate."

"'Twere better, were it not," Phoebe suggested, "that we turn to the
left and make a circuit into the Aldersgate?"

"Good wit, my lady!" cried Guy, whose excitement had taken on the form
of an exalted gayety. "Who rides with thee rides safe, my love--e'en as
Theseus of old did ride, scathless 'neath the spell of protecting
Pallas!"

"Stuff!" said Phoebe, spurring again, with a smile.

Guy led the way at once across country to the eastward, the soft English
turf so deadening their hoof-beats that those behind them had no clue to
their change of route.

When the pursuing party reached the Bishopsgate, they met the watch and
learned that no one had passed since the hue-and-cry was heard.

"Here divide we, then," cried stout Sir Isaac Burton. "Let eight follow
them around the wall, while I with other six ride on, that, if haply
they have entered London by the Aldersgate, we may meet them within the
city."

The suggestion was adopted, and, all unconscious of their peril, the
lovers were rapidly hemmed in between two bands of pursuers. Sir Guy and
Phoebe reached the Aldersgate unmolested and were allowed to pass in
without protest, as the hue-and-cry had not yet reached so far. They
ambled quietly past the watch, arousing no suspicion, but no sooner had
they turned the first corner than once more they urged their tired
horses to greater exertion.

"Choose we the side streets," said Guy. "Who knows what watch hath been
set on Gracechurch Street. 'Tis for London Bridge we are bound, is't
not?"

"Yes," said Phoebe. "I pray no prying watch detain us ere we pass that
way!"

Picking their way through the dark and narrow streets at a pace
necessarily much reduced, they slowly approached their goal, until at
length, on emerging into New Fish Street, they discerned the towering
walls of London Bridge.

Here they reined in suddenly with one