u speak of was
easily settled. The constables found no one in the house but Plessis,
myself, these two ladies, and some humbler women. It so happened,
however, that I was known to one of the men, who had been a coachman
in my father's service, and had thriven, till he had grown--into a
baker, of all earthly things. As to Plessis, no inquiries were made,
as there was not a constable amongst them who had not an occasional
advantage, by his 'little commerce,' as he calls it; and the ladies
of course passed unscathed, though the searching of the house, which
at the time we could not rightly account for, till Plessis afterwards
explained the whole, alarmed my poor Caroline, and, I think, did her
no small harm. But look you, Wilton, there is your good friend, and
mine, on the other side of the room, rousing himself from his
reverie, to speak with you. Ay! and one who must have a share in your
greetings, also, though, with the unrivalled patience which has
marked her life, she waits till all have done."
Wilton crossed over the room, and spoke a few words to the Lady Helen
Oswald; and then turning to Green, he held out his hand to him; but
the greeting of the latter was still somewhat abstracted and gloomy.
"Ha! Wilton," he said. "What brought you hither this night, my good
boy? You are on your way to Somersbury, I suppose."
"No," replied Wilton; "I have just come thence."
"Indeed!" said Green. "Indeed! How happens that, I wonder? Did you
meet any of my men? Indeed you must have met them, if you come from
Somersbury."
"I met several men on horseback," replied Wilton; "one party of whom,
three in number, stopped me, and asked me several questions."
"They offered no violence? They offered no violence?" repeated Green,
eagerly.
"None," answered Wilton; "though I suppose, if I had not answered
their questions satisfactorily, they would have done so, as they
seemed very fit persons for such proceedings. But I was in hopes,"
he continued, "that all this had gone by with you, and that such
dangerous adventures were no more thought of."
"I wish I had never thought of any still more dangerous," replied
Green; "I should not have the faces looking at me that now disturb my
sleep. But this is not my adventure," he continued, "but his--his
sitting opposite there. I have nothing to do with it, but assisting
him."
"Yes, indeed, my dear Wilton," replied Lord Sherbrooke, "the
adventure is mine. All other trades failing, and having exhausted
every other mad prank but that