to
London would be good. But it had a bad reputation for highwaymen, and no
cautious man with anything to lose cared to risk a journey after dark,
especially near London, save with a guard. Roger was taking with him a
thousand pounds in gold; therefore it was desirable that he and his fair
passenger should reach the city before nightfall. To do this with the fat
horses, he must start early,--a fact of which Frances had received due
notice.

On the appointed morning she was ready when the coach drove up. Her box
was placed in the boot, and she took a seat beside her old friend Roger,
giving vent to the tears she had held back so bravely while saying
good-by to her father and Sarah, who were to move up to London in case
she remained at court.

Wheezy old Noah on the box cracked his whip, the fat horses in the traces
pulled and grunted, the coach creaked and groaned, the wheels turned and
Frances had set forth, a maiden St. George, to fight the dragon of
Whitehall, compared to which the old-time monster was but a bleating
lamb. Roger had hoped to be in his brother's house long before sundown,
but when he reached that justly famous halfway house, the Cock and Spur,
Noah insisted that the fat horses were so badly winded that a rest of
several hours was necessary before they could proceed a step farther.
Roger argued with his Master of Horse, but to no purpose. The fat horses
rested till near the hour of five, when Noah yielded to his master's
importunities and the journey was resumed. Meantime an unexpected rain
had begun to fall, which increased in violence as night approached. The
road grew heavier as the journey progressed, and the wheezy horses
required rest so frequently that Roger began to fear for the safety of
his gold and his fair passenger.

Supper time approached, but Roger was so anxious to reach London before
dark that he asserted his right as master and refused to stop at an inn
where Noah had drawn up the horses, insisting that they be fed.
Considerable time was lost in argument with Noah, but at last they took
the road once more, which by that time had become very heavy. Night fell
without twilight, because of the storm, and the travellers were overtaken
by darkness just as they reached the most dangerous part of the road
within less than a league of London.

The road grew heavier with every turn of the wheels, the horses wheezed
dismally, and Roger groaned inwardly. He kept his head out of the coach
doo