ife or fortune in his behalf, on this I am
determined and he also. Besides, I have a plan, a wondrous plan, John,
shall save my dear Charles from all the soldiers 'twixt here and London
town. If they will search my house--let them, but they shall not find
him. And after, when he's strong enough, he shall win to France and
none to give him let or stay. Moreover John I shall be very sweetly
avenged in certain trifling matter. Nay--no questions sir, only meddle
not in this and, beyond all, have faith in thy Betty."

The sun had set long since, evening deepened into night but, when he
would have gone, she stayed him with gentle hands, with sighs and
plaintive murmurs.

"'Tis not yet late ... life holdeth so few hours the like of this ...
and John dear, I do feel troubles are nigh us ... doubts, John ...
sorrows belike... And yet surely our love is too great... But if you
should ... hear aught of evil ... or ... should see----"

"Betty--O Betty, alas, alas!" It was Lady Belinda's voice and in it a
note that brought Betty to her feet, suddenly pale and trembling.
"Betty, O Betty!" With the cry on her lips Lady Belinda appeared in
the half-light hurrying towards them distractedly and wringing her
hands as she came: "Alas, Betty!"

"Yes, aunt--dear heaven, what's amiss?"

"'Tis Charles--our dear Charles!"

"What--what of him?"

"O Betty, he's--gone!"

"Gone? But aunt 'tis impossible, his door was locked----"

"Aye, but the window--the window! He's gone, Betty--ropes and
things--bed-clothes and what not. O my heart! There they
are--dangling from the window--to and fro. But poor, naughty, wilful
Charles is gone!"

CHAPTER XXX

CONCERNING CHARLES, EARL OF MEDHURST

If my lady Betty was of a determined temper, my lord of Medhurst was no
less so; being set on ridding his sister of his dangerous presence he
contrived, so soon as her back was turned, to effect his exit through
the window by means of his bed-clothes and sundry odds and ends of rope
and cord he had found in the attics.

Darkness having fallen, the frantic search for him being over and the
coast at last clear, the earl proceeded to squirm and clamber out of
the disused water-butt that had been his hiding-place, knocked the dust
and cobwebs from his person (dressed somewhat roomily in a suit of
Viscount Merivale's clothes) and glided away into the shadows of the
garden swift and silent as any ghost. Reaching the wall he scaled it
lig