rk riding-habit and hat, Mistress Forrester was
at the door, was helped into the saddle by her son, and the little
cavalcade was on its way back through the dark lanes, and over the
stretch of moor.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

HOW SCARLETT VISITED HIS MOTHER.

"Oh, mother darling, how shocking it all seems!" said Lil, after a long
burst of weeping, as she knelt by her mother in the darkness of their
own chamber that dreary night.

"Yes, yes, my child; but we must be patient and wait."

"But it seems so terrible. These men here--our dear old home full of
soldiers, and poor father and Scar--"

"Hush, hush, my darling!" whispered Lady Markham. "You do not know what
pain you are giving me. Heaven's will be done, my child. Let us pray
for the safety of those we love."

She softly sank upon her knees beside her child in the darkness of the
sombre chamber, and through a broken casement the bright starlight shone
down, shedding sufficient lustre to show the two upturned faces with
their closed eyes.

The trampling and bustle had gradually died out. The loud orders and
buzz of talking had ceased by degrees, and now the silence of the night
was only broken by the impatient stamp of a horse, the regular tramp of
armed sentries, and from time to time a low firm challenge.

Some time before Lady Markham's attention had been drawn by Lil to the
gathering of a little detachment of horsemen, and she had recognised the
voice of him who gave the order to advance, while from the open window,
themselves unseen, they had watched the faint gleam of the men's
breastplates, as they rode down the avenue, to be seen afterwards like a
faint moving shadow on the banks of the lake before they disappeared.

Then all was still. The frightened servants had gathered, as it were,
under the wings of their mistress, and two of them were occupying the
inner room--Lil's, and had sobbed themselves to sleep.

"But you will not go to bed, mother?" Lil had whispered.

"No, my child; I will sit up, and watch by you."

"But I could not sleep, mother," said Lil; and the result was that they
were keeping vigil, and sank at last in prayer for those in danger far
away.

How still it all seemed as Lady Markham rose from her knees at last, and
went with Lil to the open window, where they seated themselves to look
out at the darkened landscape, and the faint glimmer of the star
reflections in the lake.

They felt calm now and refreshed, but nei