ld shake almost any ball into
the holster."
"I looked just now," said Charnock--"it's all right. Let us keep
pretty near Sir George;" and turning round, he came nearer to Sir
George Barkley, who was just finishing his conversation with Fenwick,
as we have described.
While holding this long consultation, the insurgents had not been
many paces from the door, and they now turned and re-entered the
room. The state of defence in which Wilton and his companion had
placed themselves showed a degree of determination that seemed to
surprise and puzzle them a good deal; for Sir George Barkley again
paused, and spoke to Sir John Fenwick, who was close behind him.
"The more reason for doing as we propose," replied Sir John to his
friend's observation. "They will not resist going before a
magistrate--at least, Wilton Brown will not, and we can easily manage
the other."
Sir George Barkley then advanced another step, saying to Wilton, who,
notwithstanding the barrier he had raised, was still quite visible as
far as the waist, "We have consulted, sir, on what it is necessary to
do with you, and if your own account of yourselves be true, you will
readily acquiesce in our determination. If you resist it, you show
that you know yourselves to be guilty of some crime, and we must deal
with you accordingly."
"Pray, sir, what is your determination?" asked Wilton. "For my part,
I require free permission to quit this place with this gentleman and
Lady Laura Gaveston; and nothing shall prevent me from so doing at
the risk of my life."
"You shall do so, sir," replied Sir George Barkley, "but you shall go
before a magistrate in the first instance. Here are evident marks of
violence having been committed upon the person of some one; the
staircase, the vestibule, the corridors, are covered with blood; your
coat, your collar, your face, are also bloody; and we feel ourselves
bound, before we let you depart, to have this matter strictly
inquired into."
"Oh, go before a magistrate at once," said Laura, in a low voice: "we
have nothing to fear from that, and they have everything."
"Showing clearly that it is a pretence, dear lady," replied Wilton,
in the same low tone. "Keep behind the barricade. I see one of those
men creeping up from the door with a pistol in his hand.--Sir," he
continued, addressing Sir George Barkley, "in those circumstances,
the best plan for you to pursue will be to bring a magistrate here. I
neither know who you are, nor what are your views; but I find