window to
reconnoitre; but the reader may judge of her surprise on seeing Sir
Thomas himself moving about with a dark lantern, and giving directions
to Gillespie, who was putting the horses to the carriage. She returned
to the housekeeper on tip-toe, her face brimful of mystery and delight.

"What do you think, Mrs. Morgan? If there isn't Sir Thomas himself
walking about with a little lantern, and giving orders to Gillespie, who
is yoking the coach."

Mrs. Morgan could not refrain from smiling at this comical expression of
yoking the coach; but her face soon became serious, and she said, with
a sigh, "I hope in God this is no further act of violence against his
angel of a daughter. What else could he mean by getting out a carriage
at this hour of the night? Go and look again, Nancy, and see whether you
may not also get a glimpse of Miss Gourlay."

Nancy, however, arrived at the window only in time to see her master
enter the carriage, and the carriage disappear out of the yard; but
whether Miss Gourlay was in it along with him, the darkness of the night
prevented her from ascertaining. After some time, however, she threw out
a suggestion, on which, with the consent of the patient, she immediately
acted. This was to discover, if possible, whether Miss Gourlay with her
maid was in her own room or not. She accordingly went with a light and
stealthy pace to the door; and as she knew that its fair occupant always
slept with a night-light in her chamber, she put her pretty eye to the
keyhole, in order to satisfy herself on this point. All, however, so far
as both sight and hearing could inform her, was both dark and silent.
This was odd; nay, not only odd, but unusual. She now felt her heart
palpitate; she was excited, alarmed. What was to be done? She would take
a bold step--she would knock--she would whisper through the key-hole,
and set down the interruption to anxiety to mention Mrs. Morgan's sudden
and violent illness. Well, all these remedies for curiosity were tried,
all these, steps taken, and, to a certain extent, they were successful;
for there could indeed be little doubt that Miss Gourlay and her maid
were not in the apartment. Everything now pertaining to the mysterious
motions of Sir Thomas and his coachman was as clear as crystal. He had
spirited her away somewhere--"placed her, the old brute, under some
she-dragon or other, who would make her feed on raw flesh and cobwebs,
with a view of reducing her streng