ing and when she spoke her voice was unsteady also:

"I--I'm glad you--told me, Sergeant. I--O I must see him! Get him
home again--into the orchard. I--must speak with him--soon!"

"But mam, he's set on riding to Inchbourne--means to look over the
cottages as Jennings has let go to rack and ruin, and when he's set on
doing a thing he'll--do it."

"He ran away at sight of me, Sergeant?"

"He did so, mam, by reason of the black art and----"

"And he shall run away again--I'll ride to Inchbourne ahead of you and
frighten him back home----"

"Zounds!" exclaimed the Sergeant.

"And when he reaches home contrive to get him into the orchard----"

"Zooks!" exclaimed the Sergeant.

Here Mr. Dalroyd, who had been chatting with the Marquis hard by but
with his gaze ever upon my lady's lissom figure, urged his horse up to
them.

"The Major would seem in a hurry this morning," said he, smiling down
into my lady's pensive face, "or is it that his horse bolted with him?"

The Sergeant snorted but, before he could speak, Lady Betty's gloved
hand was upon his arm.

"Sergeant Zebedee," said she gently, "I--trust to you and you won't
fail me, I know!" Then, smiling a little wistfully she turned and rode
away between her two cavaliers.

"Now all I says is," said the Sergeant, rasping his fingers across his
big, smooth-shaven chin, "all I says is that look o' hers has drove the
word 'fail' clean off the field wi' no chance o' rallying. All I asks
is--How?" Having questioned himself thus and found no answer, he
presently set off in pursuit of the Major, as fast as his stout cob
would carry him.

The Major sat his fretting mare beneath the shadow of trees, but
despite this shade he looked hot and uncomfortable.

"You've been the deuce of a while, Zebedee," said he, fidgeting in his
saddle.

"No help for it, your honour," answered the Sergeant, saluting, "her
ladyship having halted me, d'ye see."

"Ha--what did she say, Zeb?"

"Demanded wherefore you bolted, sir."

"And--what did you tell her?"

"Explained as 'twere all on account o' witchcraft and sorcery damned,
sir."

"Then be damned for a fool, Zebedee!" The Sergeant immediately
saluted. "Then--er--what did she say?"

"Stared, sir, and cross-examinationed me concerning same, and I dooly
explained as you did see a apparation in form of the devil--no, a devil
in form of a----" The Major uttered an impatient ejaculation and rode
on again. And after they