arriage: the others were left with orders to follow quickly
to town; and I am sure in the agitation of the moment neither my
father nor I thought of servants at all."
"Nay, dear Laura," replied Wilton, "my own servant shall go with you
then; for after having once lost my treasure and found it again, I
will not trust you with two strange chairmen such a distance, and
alone."
This arrangement was soon made; and with a mind comforted and
relieved, even from this short interview with him she loved, Lady
Laura left him, and took her way to her solitary home.

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Wilton was sincerely pained and grieved for the Duke; and the moment
that he had seen Laura safely on her way towards Beaufort House, he
hastened to seek the Earl of Byerdale, supposing that he had returned
to his own dwelling, which was near at hand. He was still at
Whitehall, however, and thither Wilton accordingly went. He was
admitted immediately to the Earl's presence, and found him with a
number of written letters before him, folded up and ready for the
departure of the courier. Not knowing that there was anything in the
mere addresses of the letters that was not intended for him to see,
Wilton suffered his eye to rest upon them for a moment. The Earl
hastily gathered them together, but not before Wilton had remarked
that one of them was addressed to the Earl of Sunbury; and the very
haste with which the statesman removed them from his sight naturally
gave rise to a suspicion of something being wrong, though Wilton
could form no definite idea of what was the motive for this
concealment.
"Have you heard that the Duke is arrested, Wilton?" was the Earl's
first question, before Wilton himself could speak.
"Yes, my lord," replied Wilton. "I have heard, and was somewhat
surprised, as your lordship did not speak to me on the subject in the
morning."
"I knew nothing about it," replied the Earl, "except that I thought
it likely. It was his grace of Shrewsbury's doing, and I do not doubt
that he was very right, for one cannot punish mean offenders and let
high ones pass."
"Certainly not, my lord," replied Wilton; "but from what I know of
the Duke, I should think that he was the last man on earth to do any
treasonable act. I have come to ask your lordship's permission to
visit him in the Tower, and to obtain an order to that effect,
hoping, too, that you may tell me the particulars of the charge
against him, for he is now very anxious to see me."
"Oh ho!" exclaimed the Duke. "What! is