es that were afloat, neither was surprised.

Sir Richard went back to his Oxford lodging with the feeling of a
man checkmated. For two whole days of that precious time he lay there
considering what to do. He thought of going to seek a physician in
Abingdon. But fearing no better success in that quarter, fearing,
indeed, that in view of the rumours abroad he would merely be
multiplying what my lord called "footprints," he decided to take
some other way to his master's ends. He was a resourceful, inventive
scoundrel, and soon he had devised a plan.

On Friday he wrote from Oxford to Lady Robert, stating that he had a
communication for her on the subject of his lordship as secret as it was
urgent. That he desired to come to her at Cumnor again, but dared not do
so openly. He would come if she would contrive that her servants should
be absent, and he exhorted her to let no one of them know that he was
coming, else he might be ruined, out of his desire to serve her.

That letter he dispatched by the hand of his servant Nunweek, desiring
him to bring an answer. It was a communication that had upon her
ladyship's troubled mind precisely the effect that the rascal conceived.
There was about Sir Richard's personality nothing that could suggest
the villain. He was a smiling, blue-eyed, florid gentleman, of a kindly
manner that led folk to trust him. And on the occasion of his late
visit to Cumnor he had displayed such tender solicitude that her
ladyship--starved of affection as she was--had been deeply touched.

His letter so cunningly couched filled her with vague alarm and with
anxiety. She had heard so many and such afflicting rumours, and
had received in my lord's cruel neglect of her such circumstantial
confirmation of them, that she fastened avidly upon what she deemed the
chance of learning at last the truth. Sir Richard Verney had my lord's
confidence, and was much about the court in his attendance upon my lord.
He would know the truth, and what could this letter mean but that he was
disposed to tell it.

So she sent him back a line in answer, bidding him come on Sunday
afternoon. She would contrive to be alone in the house, so that he need
not fear being seen by any.

As she promised, so she performed, and on the Sunday packed off her
household to the fair that was being held at Abingdon that day, using
insistence with the reluctant, and particularly with one of her women,
a Mrs. Oddingsell, who expressed herself s