them.
Mrs Collenwood laid her hand on Pandora's arm.

"Hide the lantern under thy cloak," she whispered; "and we will creep
into this field and 'bide quat under the hedge, till the party shall
have passed by."

The advice was put into practice. The hoofs drew near, accompanied by a
jingling sound which seemed to come from pottery. It was now near one
o'clock. The ladies kept as still as mice. They were not reassured
when the sound came to a stand-still, just before the gate of the field
where they were hidden, and a man's voice, strange to them, said--

"It was just here I lost the sight of the lanterns. They cannot be far
off."

Mrs Collenwood felt Pandora's hand clasp her wrist tight in the
darkness.

"Bide a moment, Tom, and I will search in the field," said another
voice.

Mrs Collenwood gave all up for lost.

"Mistress Pandora, are you there?" said the voice which had last spoken.

"Aunt Frances, 'tis Mr Hall!" cried Pandora joyfully.

"Ah! I am right glad I have found you," said Roger, as he came up to
them. "I have been searching you this hour, being confident, from what
I heard, that you would attempt to get away to-night. I pray you to
allow of my company."

"In good sooth, Mr Hall, we be right thankful of your good company,"
answered Mrs Collenwood. "'Tis ill work for two weak women such as we
be."

"Truly, my mistress, methinks you must both have lion-like hearts, so
much as to think of essaying your escape after this fashion. You will
be the safer for my presence. I have here an ass laden with pots and
pans, and driven by a good man and true, a Gospeller to boot--one of
your own men from the cloth-works, that is ready to guard his master's
daughter at the hazard of his life if need be. If you be willing, good
my mistress, to sell tins and pitchers in this present need--"

"Use me as you judge best, Master Hall," said Mrs Collenwood heartily.
"I am willing to sell tins, or scour them, or anything, the better to
elude suspicion."

"Well said. Then my counsel is that we turn right about, and pass
straight through Goudhurst, so soon as the dawn shall break. The
boldest way is at times the safest."

"But is not that to lose time?"

"To lose time is likewise sometimes to gun it," said Roger, with a
smile. "There is one danger, my mistresses, whereof you have not
thought. To all that see you as you are, your garb speaks you
gentlewomen, and gentlewomen be not wont to be about, i