t was to blame; and that
passed from one to another, and so fermented that, in the evening, a
crowd collected round Highmore House and demanded Mr. Bassett.

The servants were alarmed, and said he was not at home.

Then the men demanded boisterously what he had done with Sir Charles,
and threatened to break the windows unless they were told; and, as
nobody in the house could tell them, the women egged on the men, and
they did break the windows; but they no sooner saw their own work than
they were a little alarmed at it, and retired, talking very loud to
support their waning courage and check their rising remorse at their
deed.

They left a house full of holes and screams, and poor little Mrs.
Bassett half dead with fright.

As for Lady Bassett, she spent a horrible night of terror, suspense,
and agony. She could not lie down, nor even sit still; she walked
incessantly, wringing her hands, and groaning for news.

Mary Wells did all she could to comfort her; but it was a situation
beyond the power of words to alleviate.

Her intolerable suspense lasted till four o'clock in the morning; and
then, in the still night, horses' feet came clattering up to the door.

Lady Bassett went into the hall. It was dimly lighted by a single lamp.
The great door was opened, and in clattered Moss and Drake, splashed
and weary and downcast.

"Well?" cried Lady Bassett, clasping her hands.

"My lady," said Moss, "we tracked the carriage into the next county, to
a place thirty miles from here--to a lodge--and there they stopped us.
The place is well guarded with men and great big dogs. We heerd 'em
bark, didn't us, Will?"

"Ay," said Drake, dejectedly.

"The man as kept the lodge was short, but civil. Says he, 'This is a
place nobody comes in but by law, and nobody goes out but by law. If
the gentleman is here you may go home and sleep; he is safe enough.'"

"A prison? No!"

"A 'sylum, my lady."

CHAPTER XXI.

THE lady put her hand to her heart, and was silent a long time.

At last she said, doggedly but faintly, "You will go with me to that
place to-morrow, one of you."

"I'll go, my lady," said Moss. "Will, here, had better not show his
face. They might take the law on him for that there shot."

Drake hung his head, and his ardor was evidently cooled by discovering
that Sir Charles had been taken to a mad-house.

Lady Bassett saw and sighed, and said she would take Moss to show her
the way.

At eleven o'cloc