and Harry took
the key from me, and flung it over the wall into the garden.

'Let any find it who list,' said he. 'I thank God we are quit of the
hideous place. How you have endured to dwell there day and night passes
my comprehension.'

'Why,' said I, 'is it not a glorious rich house?'

'A house of sin and pride and death,' said he, 'I grant you.'

'You are of Will's mind,' says Althea; 'he never would eat or sleep in
it.'

'If that be Will's mind,' said he, 'I approve his wisdom. And now, hey
for Father Thames and his silver streams, and the sweet salt air of the
sea! Here, take my arm, fair lady,' he said to Althea as we went along;
'I have my doubts of your obedience--Lucy I can trust to come with me of
free will.' So she took his arm, and said, smiling faintly,--

'At least indulge me so far as to tell us whither we are bound?'

'You heard me say,' he answered, stepping on briskly, 'to the nearest
stairs; I have a boat ready there, and we will slip down the river to a
ship I wot of that lies near Woolwich. I own,' he went on, 'it's a
mighty risk to run, with Andrew in such a feeble case; yet I see no
better way.' And in hasty words he told us how poor was our chance of
getting clear away from the plague-stricken city by land.

'London is something of a mouse-trap now,' said he, 'or a lion's den, if
you like a statelier image; the way in is easy enough, but the way out
is more difficult than the steep and thorny path to heaven. Every town
and village we should come to would rise against us with hue and cry,
and drive us back to the city, to perish there; so cruel are men become
through fear of the contagion.'

Althea's pale cheek grew paler as she listened; and she said, 'Alas, my
Lucy! into what a snare have I brought you! and all through pride and
self-will.'

'Nay, sweet sister,' said I, 'do not miscall your compassion, and the
daring of your spirit, which led you here.'

'There was pride and wilfulness in it too,' said she; 'and look what a
rebuke Heaven gives me! it is not I that rescue Andrew; it is Harry and
poor Giles.'

'Tut, tut!' said Harry; 'do not abuse yourself overmuch. You had found
Andrew long since, but for the evil mind of Ralph Lacy, who had bought
yon keeper with a mighty bribe, and commanded that Andrew should be kept
out of sight, if ever you made inquiry after him.'

This piece of intelligence struck us silent till we got to the stairs,
going down which we found a roomy boat