hing your drink about a gentleman's house,
sir?' said John.

'I'm drinking a toast,' Hugh rejoined, holding the glass above his head,
and fixing his eyes on Mr Haredale's face; 'a toast to this house and
its master.' With that he muttered something to himself, and drank the
rest, and setting down the glass, preceded them without another word.

John was a good deal scandalised by this observance, but seeing that
Mr Haredale took little heed of what Hugh said or did, and that his
thoughts were otherwise employed, he offered no apology, and went in
silence down the stairs, across the walk, and through the garden-gate.
They stopped upon the outer side for Hugh to hold the light while Mr
Haredale locked it on the inner; and then John saw with wonder (as he
often afterwards related), that he was very pale, and that his face
had changed so much and grown so haggard since their entrance, that he
almost seemed another man.

They were in the open road again, and John Willet was walking on behind
his escort, as he had come, thinking very steadily of what he had just
now seen, when Hugh drew him suddenly aside, and almost at the same
instant three horsemen swept past--the nearest brushed his shoulder even
then--who, checking their steeds as suddenly as they could, stood still,
and waited for their coming up.

Chapter 35

When John Willet saw that the horsemen wheeled smartly round, and drew
up three abreast in the narrow road, waiting for him and his man to join
them, it occurred to him with unusual precipitation that they must be
highwaymen; and had Hugh been armed with a blunderbuss, in place of his
stout cudgel, he would certainly have ordered him to fire it off at a
venture, and would, while the word of command was obeyed, have consulted
his own personal safety in immediate flight. Under the circumstances of
disadvantage, however, in which he and his guard were placed, he deemed
it prudent to adopt a different style of generalship, and therefore
whispered his attendant to address them in the most peaceable and
courteous terms. By way of acting up to the spirit and letter of this
instruction, Hugh stepped forward, and flourishing his staff before the
very eyes of the rider nearest to him, demanded roughly what he and his
fellows meant by so nearly galloping over them, and why they scoured the
king's highway at that late hour of night.

The man whom he addressed was beginning an angry reply in the same
strain, when h