are mine; I shall claim the fulfilment of your oath.
Farewell. Handassah will lead you to your mother.' Miss Mowbray bowed
her head, but returned no answer, while, followed by old Alan, Sir Luke
departed from the cavern."

"Whither went they?" demanded Turpin.

"That I know not," replied Jerry. "I was about to follow, when I was
prevented by the abrupt entrance of another party. Scarcely, I think,
could the two Rookwoods have made good their retreat, when shouts were
heard without, and young Ranulph and Major Mowbray forced their way,
sword in hand, into the cave. Here was a situation--for _me_, I mean--to
the young lady, I make no doubt, it was pleasant enough. But my neck was
in jeopardy. However, you know I am not deficient in strength, and, upon
the present occasion, I made the best use of the agility with which
nature has endowed me. Amidst the joyous confusion--the sobbings, and
embracings, and congratulations that ensued--I contrived, like a wild
cat, to climb the rocky sides of the cave, and concealed myself behind a
jutting fragment of stone. It was well I did so, for scarcely was I
hidden, when in came old Barbara, followed by Mrs. Mowbray, and a dozen
others."

"Barbara!" ejaculated Dick. "Was she a prisoner?"

"No," replied Jerry; "the old hell-cat is too deep for that. She had
betrayed Sir Luke, and hoped they would seize him and his granddad. But
the birds were flown."

"I'm glad she was baulked," said Dick. "Was any search made after them?"

"Can't say," replied Jerry. "I could only indistinctly catch the sounds
of their voices from my lofty retreat. Before they left the cavern, I
made out that Mrs. Mowbray resolved to go to Rookwood, and to take her
daughter thither--a proceeding to which the latter demurred."

"To Rookwood," said Dick, musingly. "Will she keep her oath, I wonder?"

"That's more than I can say," said Jerry, sipping his punch. "'Tis a
deceitful sex!"

"'Tis a deceitful sex, indeed," echoed Dick, tossing off a tumbler. "For
one Sybil we meet with twenty Handassahs, eh, count?"

"Twenty!--say rather a hundred," replied Jerry. "'Tis a vile sex."

_CHAPTER II_

_TOM KING_

_Grimm._ How gloriously the sun sets to-night.

_Moor._ When I was a boy, my favorite thought was, that I should
live and die like yonder glorious orb. It was a boyish thought.

_Grimm._ True, captain.

_The Robbers._

"Peac