:

"Egad, we must drink the health of Mr. Midshipman Bold," and when
Susan appeared, with surprising celerity (I believe the minx had
been listening at the door) he roared at her for keeping me waiting
so long a-fasting.

"And what do you think of that, Lucy?" he cries, turning to his
niece. "Didst ever hear such a tale of ups and downs and derring
do?"

"I love Joe Punchard," said Mistress Lucy, and that set her uncle
a-laughing again, though I confess it somewhat mystified me.

My kind friends insisted that I should stay the night with them,
and we sat up talking to a late hour. I longed to ask how things
stood in the matter of the guardianship of Mistress Lucy, but the
subject was ignored by tacit consent so long as the ladies were in
the room. When they had retired, however, Mr. Allardyce drew his
chair alongside of mine, and said:

"Humphrey, I am worried out of my life. We are almost in a state of
siege here. Ever since that attempt at kidnapping Lucy that you so
happily frustrated I have never felt easy about her. She never goes
forth unattended now: those morning rides are at an end. I have
taken two more menservants to act as special guard for her, and
they two, or myself and one of them, always accompany her, with
well primed pistols, I warrant you. Men have been seen at various
times lurking about here, and I have taken pains to track them, and
went so far as to commit one of them for loitering with intent to
commit a felony. But I had no proof, and an attorney fellow in
Shrewsbury named Moggridge threatened me with all sorts of pains
and penalties if I did not at once release the villain."

"But what does the law say to it, sir?" I asked.

"The law is uncommon slow to say anything, confound it! My lawyer
in Bridgenorth was at first all for an accommodation, as he called
it; he wanted me to make terms with that rogue Cludde, and a host
of letters passed between him and Moggridge, who is Cludde's
attorney. But that failed; of course it did, since I wouldn't give
way, and now my man has filed a bill in chancery to make Lucy a
ward of court, with me as her guardian. The other side is opposing,
and the case will not come on till next sessions and maybe not
then. My man says we are bound to win, the court, as he declares,
being very jealous of the rights of minors, especially where
property is concerned. But meanwhile we live in constant fear of
the girl being carried off, and if they once get her there