th, I want to see how matters stand with Sir Luke Rookwood. I should
be sorry if he went to the wall for want of any assistance I can render
him."

"True," returned the count; "one would regret such an occurrence,
certainly. But I fear your assistance may arrive a little too late. He
is pretty well done up, I should imagine, by this time."

"That remains to be seen," said Turpin. "His case is a bad one, to be
sure, but I trust not utterly hopeless. With all his impetuosity and
pride, I like the fellow, and will help him, if I can. It will be a
difficult game to set him on his legs, but I think it may be done. That
underground marriage was sheer madness, and turned out as ill as such a
scheme might have been expected to do. Poor Sybil! if I could pipe an
eye for anything, it should be for her. I can't get her out of my head.
Give me a pinch of snuff. Such thoughts unman one. As to the priest,
that's a totally different affair. If he strangled his daughter, old
Alan did right to take the law into his own hands, and throttle him in
return. I'd have done the same thing myself; and, being a proscribed
Jesuit, returned, as I understand, without the king's license for so
doing, why Father Checkley's murder--if it must be so called, I can't
abide hard terms--won't lie very heavy at Alan's door. That, however,
has nothing to do with Sir Luke. He was neither accessory nor
principal. Still he will be in danger, at least from Lady Rookwood. The
whole county of York, I make no doubt, is up in arms by this time."

"Then why go thither?" asked the count, somewhat ironically; "for my
part, I've a strange fancy for keeping out of harm's way as long as
possible."

"Every man to his taste," returned Turpin; "I love to confront danger.
Run away! pshaw! always meet your foe."

"True," replied the count, "half-way! but you go the whole distance.
What prudent man would beard the lion in his den?"

"I never was a prudent man," rejoined Dick, smiling; "I have no
superfluous caution about me. Come what will, I shall try to find out
this Luke Rookwood, and offer him my purse, such as it is, and it is now
better lined than usual; a hand free to act as he lists; and a head
which, imprudent though it be, can often think better for others than
for its own master."

"Vastly fine!" exclaimed the count, with an ill-disguised sneer. "I hope
you don't forget that the marriage certificate which you hold is
perfectly valueless now. The estates, you