CHAPTER XIII.

HE next morning, a little before noon,
Mary was walking in one of the gardens

near a lodge gate, when a man in the dress of a sailor called to her through the gate, holding in his hand a letter, while he said,

'If you please, miss, there is a letter for the soldier captain as is stopping at the castle. I see him t' other day when I was in t' gardens with t' gardener; and I told our governor, and he told t' other captain, and 'tis he as has wrote this here letter, and I am to take an answer back if I can. Will you be kind enough, miss, now to take it in, while I waits here till ye come back with the answer. Them's my instructions, if I could see any one to give it to.'

Mary thanked him and took the note. She had no sooner reached the house than she began to consider whether she ought to deliver the note without first consulting Father Philip. She went therefore to his room, but found he was out, and a servant

said that he was gone out for the whole day, and perhaps would not return until the day after. Mary then determined to take the note herself, hoping she might find Captain Latimer in the first room, which was the library. It so happened that he was there -whether brought there by one of those inward impulses which lead us to meet the person who is coming to meet us, we cannot say, but so it was, and it relieved Mary much, as this was a general room, and not one of the priest's rooms.

'A man,' she said at once, 'has brought a letter for you, and is waiting at the lodge for an answer.' Latimer opened the letter, and read,—

'DEAR LATIMER,—What are you doing in that old castle? Lieutenant Jones does not know what to do, and I am waiting outside ready to act with you. We heard you were taken prisoner, and your foolish fellows got into trouble in trying to rescue you; you sly old fellow, you have been in that castle all the while, I suppose, but now really we should get to business, and do our duty.'

This letter vexed and annoyed Latimer not a little ; a strictly conscientious man as he was, he felt keenly the sting of being so regarded. He knew that the news would speedily fly round the country that he was at the castle, and therefore, although it was not until the next day that he was to leave according to the arrangement made, yet it was now evident that he was released from his engagement and could go.

He wrote a hasty note, saying he would come immediately and explain all, if Brooke would meet him at Massingberd. Mary came back as soon as she could, saying, 'You must not go on foot; the smugglers may be watching. I will lend you my horse, and have him saddled immediately, and she went away to do so. In a short time she returned, bringing him spurs and a heavy hunting-whip, and led him into the courtyard. He immediately said,

'I did not come in this way, I came through a kind of vault, and up some tower stairs.

Mary looked surprised, and said,—' I don't know of any other way. The reverend father is sometimes fond of mysteries, or he may have brought you that way, that you might not be seen by any one except his servants.'

When Latimer mounted, the horse gave a bound, and Mary was pleased to see how well he managed him. It then occurred to her that it would be better to show him a way out of the park the farthest from Troutbeck, lest there should be any watchers. She walked by his side therefore until she could point out the way. He bowed and thanked her, and cantered off, having agreed to leave the horse in the stables of the squire at Massingberd,—Mary saying she would send a groom over in the afternoon. She returned to the castle with a light and happy heart, suddenly relieved altogether from the burden which seemed so overpowering. She could now write to Mr Temple

and to Gertrude and explain all, and this being so she presently found herself chiefly meditating on the prospects of Latimer's safe arrival at Massingberd, and the risks he ran as a soldier, and especially in his present enterprise. In truth Latimer's dangers were not over. As Mary had suggested, the castle had been diligently watched. There were spies and reporters among the servants, especially those whose work was out of doors. A proof of this Latimer presently received. The man at the lodge gates stared hard at him and the horse, but Latimer had no sooner passed, than on turning round, he saw this man wave a small flag so that it could be seen up and down the road. This action immediately put Latimer on his guard. He gathered his horse well in hand and looked round. About three hundred yards in the direction of Massingberd, there were three horsemen on the road, and they immediately rode towards him. On looking back he saw another advancing from the other side. Suspecting the intentions of these horsemen to be anything but harmless, he immediately went into a field opposite, through an open gate, and galloped briskly up some rising ground through a rookery. The three horsemen immediately leapt their horses over the fence from the road, and the other horseman did the same. It now became a race and a trial of metal of the horses and riders. When he had reached the high ground, he pushed on as rapidly as he could, while at the same time he

I

saved his horse as much as possible.

Latimer felt at a great disadvantage from being ignorant of the country, while these men knew no doubt every gate and gap and ditch. He found that his horse. being fat and sleek was not in such good condition as he should have been to come out successfully in such a race. The single horseman was now almost abreast of him two fields off and on somewhat higher ground; he was evidently riding to act with the others when they should gain on Latimer. On they went for another mile over everything that came in the way. Wellesley now seemed to be going still more strongly, as if he had gained his wind. He let him therefore have his head for a field or two, and found to his satisfaction that his pursuers were losing ground. They pursued him still, and Latimer began to consider what had better be further done to baffle them. The single horseman appeared to be the leader, and made some signs to the others. Latimer soon saw they understood him, for they suddenly turned rather to the right as if riding away from him. It immediately occurred to him that they were hastening on to reach some pathway, which would lead down in the direction of Massingberd which they knew he must take. The three men were soon out of sight, and he could see the heads of trees just in front. It became necessary now to take decided action to rid himself of one at least of his pursuers, and so