ome hither, Byerly," said Green, leading him
away; "we must see the contents of the bag, take what we want, and
dispose of the rest. You had better come with me too, sir," he added,
addressing Lord Sherbrooke; "for as good Don Quixote would have said,
'The adventure is yours, and it is now happily achieved.'"
Thus saying, the three left the room together, and were absent for
nearly half an hour.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
It was evident to Wilton, that whatever was the enterprise in which
Lord Sherbrooke and Green were engaged, it was one which, without
absolutely wanting confidence in him, they were anxious to conceal
from his knowledge; and, to say truth, he was by no means sorry that
such should be the case.
He knew Lord Sherbrooke too well to hope that any remonstrance would
affect him, and he was therefore glad not to be made a partaker of
any secret regarding transactions which he believed to be dangerous,
and yet could not prevent. In regard to Green too, there were
particular feelings in his bosom which made him anxious to avoid any
further knowledge of that most hazardous course of life in which he
was evidently engaged; for he could not shut his eyes to what that
course of life really was. Although, as we have already said, at that
period the resource of the King's Highway had been adopted by very
different people from those who even ten or twenty years afterwards
trafficked thereon: though many a man of high education, gallant
courage, and polished manners, ay, even of high birth, cast from his
station by the changes and misfortunes of the day--like parts of a
fine building thrown down by an earthquake, and turned to viler
purposes--sought the midnight road as their only means of support:
nay, though there were even some names afterwards restored to the
peerage, which are supposed to have been well known amongst the
august body of traffickers in powder and lead: yet Wilton could not
but feel grieved that any one in whom he felt an interest should be
tempted or driven to such an expedient, and at all events, he thought
that the less he knew upon the subject the better.
That, however, which struck him as the most strange, was to find two
beings such as those who were now left alone with him, graceful,
beautiful, gentle, high-toned in manners, distinguished in
appearance, fitted to mingle with the highest society, and adorn the
highest rank, cognizant of, if not taking part in, things so
dangerous and reprehensible.
A momentary silence ensued when he