h the smart crew of the boat
from the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, which was gaining on them.

Meanwhile the others interrogated Loveday, who told them of the pretext
on which Lady Belamour had sent her captive down to Mrs. Darke's. No one
save herself had, in my Lady's household, she said, an idea of where the
young lady was, Lady Belamour having employed only hired porters except
on that night when Lady Aresfield's carriage brought her. This had led
to the captivity being know to Lady Belle and her brother, and Loveday
had no doubt that it was the discovery of their being aware of it, as
well as Jumbo's appearance in the court, that had made her mistress
finally decide on this frightful mode of ridding herself of the poor
girl. The maid was as adroit a dissembler as her mistress, and she held
her peace as to her own part in forwarding Colonel Mar's suit, whether
her lady guessed it or not, but she owned with floods of tears how the
sight of the young lady's meek and dutiful submission, her quiet trust,
and her sweet, simple teaching of the children, had wakened into life
again a conscience long dead to all good, and made it impossible to her
to carry out this last wicked commission without an attempt to save the
creature whom she had learnt to reverence as a saint. Most likely her
scruples had been suspected by her mistress, for there had been an
endeavour to put it out of her power to give any warning to the victim.
Yet after all, the waiting-maid had been too adroit for the lady, or,
as she fully owned, Aurelia's firm trust had not been baulked, and
deliverance from the lions had come.

CHAPTER XXXV. THE RETURN.

And now the glorious artist, ere he yet
Had reached the Lemnian Isle, limping, returned;
With aching heart he sought his home.
_Odyssey_--COWPER.

How were they to get the slumbering maiden home? That was the next
question. Loveday advised carrying her direct to her old prison, where
she would wake without alarm; but Sir Amyas shuddered at the notion,
and Betty said she _could_ not take her again into a house of Lady
Belamour's.

The watermen, who were enthusiastic in the cause, which they understood
as that of one young sweetheart rescued by the other, declared that they
would carry the sweet lady between them on the cushions of their boat,
laid on stretchers; and as they knew of a land-place near the _Royal
York_, with no need of crossing any