to take in you."

"What _do_ you mean?" said Mrs. Brandon.

"Only that as I was exploring the thicket near East Common, I
heard a rustling in the hedge, and suddenly stood face to face
with an individual of not very prepossessing appearance."

"What kind of man, my love? you frighten me to death."

"Why he was not like a gentleman, nor yet like a countryman;
not like anything good in its way. He opened our interview by
laying hold of my arm."

"How dreadful!" "What did he say?" "What did you do?" "How
shocking!" "How did you get away?" "I should have died on the
spot;" was echoed with different sorts of emphasis round the
table.

"Why, I told him I had five shillings and sixpence in my
purse, in case it was agreeable to him to take them."

"Did he?"

"No, here they are quite safe; he did not want to take my
money, but to give me advice, he said," and Rosa burst into
one of her merriest peals of laughter.

"What did he say to you exactly? Now pray be serious, Rosa,"
cried Mrs. Brandon, impatiently.

"This is what he said, 'Hark'ee, my duck, do you marry that
'ere chap, that Mr. Lovell what's a courting you, and the
sooner the better, for if you don't it will be the worse for
you and for him, and for some one as shall be nameless. It
will be the saving of his life, if you mind me my pretty gal.'
He added this, as I wrenched my arm away, and was taking to my
legs."

"And he let you go?"

"No, he caught hold of me again, and begged for an answer. I
am afraid I should have promised to marry Mr. Lovell, or to
kill him, or anything else that was expected of me, in order
to get away, when another man joined us, and muttered, 'Fool,
you are dropping the Brentford ticket at Hammersmith gate.'
Upon which my friend screwed up his mouth into a particular
shape, gave a kind of whistle, and both darted away among the
bushes; and here I am."

I looked round to see how Henry took this account, but he was
gone. Mrs. Brandon noticed also his disappearance, and left
the room. Mrs. Ernsley, Sir Edmund, and the eldest Miss
Farnley drew round Rosa, to hear her recount again her
adventure, and the youngest Miss Farnley whispered to me: "Mr.
Lovell must be in love with Miss Moore, for I never saw a man
more strangely agitated; but it is an odd story; what do you
think it can mean?"

"Perhaps it is a hoax," I said; for I had a vague wish that
the whole thing might be hushed up. I felt frightened--I
thought it evident tha