strange, that a
party of men, whose general business was hardly doubtful, should
suffer him, without any knowledge of his person or any private
motives for so doing, to pass them thus quietly on his way, and he
was led to imagine that they must have in view some very peculiar
object to account for such conduct. That object, however, was
evidently considered by themselves of very great importance, and to
require extraordinary precautions; for before Wilton reached the
direction-post to which Byerly had referred, he passed two more
horsemen, one of whom was singing as he came up, but stopped
immediately on perceiving the wayfarer, and demanded in a civil
tone--
"Pray, sir, did you meet some gentlemen on before?"
"Yes," replied Wilton, "I did: three, and then one."
"Did they speak to you?" demanded the other.
"Yes," replied Wilton, "they asked me some questions."
"Oh, was that all?" said the man. "Good night, sir;" and on the two
rode.
At the finger-post, Wilton turned from the highway; but for some time
he was inclined to fancy, either that he had mistaken the direction,
or that the light had been put out in the cottage window, for not the
least glimmering ray could he now see. At length, on suddenly turning
a belt of young planting, he found himself in front of a low but
extensive and very pretty cottage, or rather perhaps it might be
called two cottages joined together by a centre somewhat lower than
themselves. It was more like a building of the present day than one
of that epoch; and though the beautiful China rose, the sweetest
ornament of our cottage doors at present, was not then known in this
country, a rich spreading vine covered every part of the front with
its luxuriant foliage. The light was still in the window, having
only been hidden by the trees; and throwing his rein to the groom,
Wilton said,--
"Perhaps we may find shelter here for the night; but I must first go
in, and see."
Thus saying, he advanced and rang a bell, the handle of which he
found hanging down by the door-post, and after having waited a minute
or two, he heard the sound of steps coming along the passage. The
door was opened by a pretty, neat, servant girl, with a candle in her
hand; but behind her stood a woman considerably advanced in life,
bowed in the back, and with a stick in her hand, presenting so much
altogether the same appearance which the Lady Helen Oswald had
thought fit to assume in her first interview with him, that for an
instant Wilton doubted whether i