, hath strangely escaped mutilation,
and revealed a most foul deed. We must now do our duty, gentlemen,
without respect of persons."

A warrant was then issued for the apprehension of Thomas Leicester. And,
that same night, Mrs. Gaunt left Hernshaw in her own chariot between two
constables, and escorted by armed yeomen.

Her proud head was bowed almost to her knees, and her streaming eyes
hidden in her lovely hands. For why? A mob accompanied her for miles,
shouting, "Murderess!--Bloody Papist!--Hast done to death the kindliest
gentleman in Cumberland. We'll all come to see thee hanged.--Fair face
but foul heart!"--and groaning, hissing, and cursing, and indeed only
kept from violence by the escort.

And so they took that poor proud lady and lodged her in Carlisle jail.

She was _enceinte_ into the bargain. By the man she was to be hanged for
murdering.

CHAPTER XL.

The county was against her, with some few exceptions. Sir George Neville
and Mr. Houseman stood stoutly by her.

Sir George's influence and money obtained her certain comforts in jail;
and, in that day, the law of England was so far respected in a jail that
untried prisoners were not thrown into cells, nor impeded, as they now
are, in preparing their defence.

Her two stanch friends visited her every day, and tried to keep her
heart up.

But they could not do it. She was in a state of dejection bordering upon
lethargy.

"If he is dead," said she, "what matters it? If, by God's mercy, he is
alive still, he will not let me die for want of a word from him.
Impatience hath been my bane. Now, I say, God's will be done. I am
weary of the world."

Houseman tried every argument to rouse her out of this desperate frame
of mind; but in vain.

It ran its course, and then, behold, it passed away like a cloud, and
there came a keen desire to live and defeat her accusers.

She made Houseman write out all the evidence against her; and she
studied it by day, and thought of it by night, and often surprised both
her friends by the acuteness of her remarks.

* * * * *

Mr. Atkins discontinued his advertisements. It was Houseman, who now
filled every paper with notices informing Griffith Gaunt of his
accession to fortune, and entreating him for that, and other weighty
reasons, to communicate in confidence with his old friend, John
Houseman, attorney at law.

Houseman was too wary to invite him to appear and save his wife;