nce that night. From this
apprehension, however, the Lady Helen speedily relieved her, by
assuring her that there was no other ship to convey her but that
which was hired to take herself and her young friend to France, and
that they had determined upon putting off their departure till the
succeeding night.
About the same hour, however, Caroline became uneasy and agitated.
She rose often; she looked often at her watch; she gazed out froth
the window; she turned her eyes to the sky; and in the end she
retired for a time to her own chamber, and returned shortly after,
dressed for going out, with a short black cloak, richly trimmed, cast
over her shoulders, and a silk hood, stiffened with whalebone and
deeply fringed with lace, covering her head and the greatest part of
her face.
"Who are you going to take with you, my dear child, to show you the
way?" said the Lady Helen.
"No one, sweet lady," replied the other. "While you were away from me
in London I had plenty of opportunity to explore every path round
this house, and the place is so distinctly marked, that neither he
nor I can mistake it."
Lady Helen looked in her face for a moment with an expression
somewhat sad as well as inquiring; and her beautiful companion, as if
comprehending at once what she meant, advanced quietly towards her,
knelt on the footstool at her feet, and putting her two hands in
hers, she said, "I promise you most solemnly, dearest lady--most
solemnly and firmly do I promise, not to suffer myself to be shaken
in any one of the resolutions which I have taken with your advice."
"Thank you, my child, thank you," cried the elder lady, "thank you
for giving me the prospect, Caroline, of seeing you ultimately happy.
But oh, do not be late, my sweet child. Return to us soon. The
country is in a distracted state--the hour is very late. You see it
is already growing dusk."
"I will return as soon as I can," replied Caroline, and left the
room.
The man who was still on watch in the passage looked at her
attentively, but said nothing; and Plessis, who was at the door
speaking to two ship-boys, said merely, "It is very cold and very
late, madame. I wonder you don't get cold with such late walks."
She made no reply, but went on: and taking one or two turns through
the tortuous lanes in the neighbourhood, arrived at a spot where a
small obelisk, of no very graceful form or great dimensions, planted
in the middle of the road, marked the boundary of four distinct
parishes. She paused there for