g down, wrote a short note to my mother,
telling her that an engagement, formed the previous evening, to meet
a friend, would probably detain me the greater part of the day; and
another note to Oaklands, saying that I had taken the liberty of
borrowing a horse, begging him to speak of my absence as a thing of
course, and promising to tell him more when I returned. I then waited
till a faint grey tint in the eastern sky gave promise of the coming
dawn; when letting myself noiselessly out, I took my way towards the
Hall. It was beginning to get light as I reached the stables, and,
arousing one of the drowsy helpers, I made him saddle a bay mare, with
whose high courage, speed, ~391~~ and powers of endurance I was well
acquainted, and started on my expedition.

As it was nearly eighteen miles to the place of meeting, I could
scarcely hope to reach it by seven o'clock, the time mentioned in old
Peter's note; but action was the only relief to my anxiety, and it may
easily be supposed I did not lose much time on the road, so that it was
but ten minutes after seven when I turned down the lane in which the
little alehouse appointed as our rendezvous was situated. I found old
Peter waiting to receive me, though the cloud upon his brow, speaking
volumes of dark mystery, did not tend to raise my spirits.

"Late on parade, sir," was his greeting--"late on parade; we should
never have driven the Mounseers out of Spain if we'd been ten minutes
behind our time every morning."

"You forget, my friend, that I have had eighteen miles to ride, and that
your notice was too short to allow of my giving orders about a horse
over night."

"You do not seem to have lost much time by the way," he added, eyeing my
reeking steed. "What a slap-up charger that mare would make! Here, you
boy, take her into the shed there, and throw a sack or two over her,
wash out her mouth, and give her a lock of hay to nibble; but don't go
to let her drink, unless you want my cane about your shoulders--do ye
hear? Now, sir, come in."

"What in the world did you mean by that note, Peter?" exclaimed I, as
soon as we were alone; "it has nearly driven me distracted--I have never
closed my eyes all night."

"Then it's done as I intended," was the satisfactory reply; "it's
prepared you for the worst."

"Nice preparation!" muttered I, then added, "Worst! what do you refer
to? Speak out, man--you are torturing me!"

"You'll hear it sooner than you like; try and ta