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hat everyone was waiting avidly for his words. "The story is short and proves itself," he began. "A week ago the Lady Barbara Gordon was traveling toward London attended only by her father's servants. My Lord Farquhart, with a party of his friends, among whom I was included at that time, awaited her at Marmaduke Bass' tavern, The Jolly Grig. A short time before the Lady Barbara was to arrive, Lord Farquhart withdrew to his room, presumably to sleep, until----" "Ay, and sleep he did," interrupted young Treadway, who spoke for the first time. "We both slept in my room on the ground floor of the tavern." "You slept, no doubt, Mr. Treadway," answered Lord Grimsby. "But, if so, how can you vouch for the fact that Lord Farquhart slept?" "I can vouch for it--I can vouch for it because I know he slept," spluttered Treadway. "I fear me much that your reasoning will not help to save your friend," answered the councillor, a little scornfully. "Let me beg that Mr. Ashley be not again interrupted to so little purpose." "While, according to his own account, Mr. Treadway slept," continued Ashley, "while he supposed Lord Farquhart was also sleeping, I heard Lord Farquhart singing in his room overhead. At the time I paid little heed to it. In fact, I did not think of it again that night, although, if I remember rightly, I commented on Lord Farquhart's voice to Mr. Cecil Lindley, who sat with me in the tavern. It was full fifteen minutes after that when the Lady Barbara drove into the inn, crying that she had been waylaid by the Black Highwayman. Her rings had been stolen, her rings and a jeweled gauntlet and a rose. She was strangely confused and would not permit us to ride in pursuit of the villain, averring that she had promised him immunity in exchange for her own life." "A pretty tale," Jack Grimsby again interrupted, in spite of his father's commands. "It's a lie on its own face. 'Tis well known that the Black Devil has never taken a life, has never even threatened bodily injury." "Be that as it may"--Ashley's level voice ignored the tone of the interruption, although his nervous fingers were on his sword--"when the Lady Barbara's companion, Mistress Benton, tried to say that the Lady Barbara had recognized her assailant, that the Lady Barbara had willingly descended from the coach with the highwayman, the Lady Barbara silenced her peremptorily and ordered that we hurry with all speed to London. 'Twas the follow
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