ht down to Cowley Church. Now, if you're going to
Master Plessis's, you had better not go farther than that."
"That way will not be difficult to find," replied Wilton; and
followed by the Messenger, he quitted the little inn, or rather
public-house, for it was no better, and traced accurately the road the
landlord had pointed out.
"He had better go no farther than Cowley Church, indeed," said a man
who was sitting in the bar, as soon as he was gone; "for if he be
going to Master Plessis's, he'll be half a mile beyond the turning by
that time."
"Jenkin, Jenkin!" cried the landlord, not minding what his guest
said, but addressing a boy who was cleaning some pewter stoups in a
kitchen at the end of the passage--"come here, my man. Run down by
the lanes as fast as you can go, and tell Master Plessis that there
are two gentlemen coming to his house, whose looks I don't like at
all. One is a state messenger, if I'm not much mistaken. I've seen
his face before, I'm sure enough, and I think it was when Evans the
coiner was taken up at Stroud. You can get there half an hour before
them, if you run away straight by the lanes."
The boy lost not a moment, very sure that any one who brought
Monsieur Plessis intelligence of importance would get something at
least for his pains.
In the meantime, Wilton and his companion walked on. The sky was
clear above, but it had already become very dark, and a doubt
occurred, both at the first and second turning, as to whether they
were right. Wilton and the Messenger had furnished themselves with
pistols, besides their swords; and the young gentleman paused for a
moment to ascertain that the priming had not fallen out; but nothing
would induce the Messenger to do so likewise; for his sullen mood had
seized upon him again more strongly than ever, and he merely replied
that his pistols would do very well, and that it would be lucky if
Mr. Brown were as sure of his way as he was of his pistols.
"I should like you to give me my orders, Mr. Brown," he added, in the
same dogged tone, "for I am always glad to know beforehand what it is
I am to do, that I may be ready to do it."
"I shall of course give orders," replied Wilton, somewhat sharply,
"when they are required, Mr. Arden. At the present moment, however, I
have only to tell you that I expect every minute to meet a person who
will lead us to the house where Lady Laura is detained. At that
house, we shall have to encounter, I understand, a number of persons
whose interest and d