winter wind, I hugged myself in my
plaid, and it was as though her arms were flung around me.

CHAPTER XII

I FOLLOW A COVERED CART NEARLY TO MY DESTINATION

At last I began to draw near, by reasonable stages, to the neighbourhood
of Wakefield; and the name of Mr. Burchell Fenn came to the top in my
memory. This was the gentleman (the reader may remember) who made a
trade of forwarding the escape of French prisoners. How he did so:
whether he had a signboard, _Escapes forwarded, apply within_; what he
charged for his services, or whether they were gratuitous and
charitable, were all matters of which I was at once ignorant and
extremely curious. Thanks to my proficiency in English, and Mr.
Romaine's bank-notes, I was getting on swimmingly without him; but the
trouble was that I could not be easy till I had come to the bottom of
these mysteries, and it was my difficulty that I knew nothing of him
beyond the name. I knew not his trade beyond that of Forwarder of
Escapes--whether he lived in town or country, whether he were rich or
poor, nor by what kind of address I was to gain his confidence. It would
have a very bad appearance to go along the highwayside asking after a
man of whom I could give so scanty an account; and I should look like a
fool, indeed, if I were to present myself at his door and find the
police in occupation! The interest of the conundrum, however, tempted
me, and I turned aside from my direct road to pass by Wakefield; kept my
ears pricked, as I went, for any mention of his name, and relied for the
rest on my good fortune. If Luck (who must certainly be feminine)
favoured me as far as to throw me in the man's way, I should owe the
lady a candle; if not, I could very readily console myself. In this
experimental humour, and with so little to help me, it was a miracle
that I should have brought my enterprise to a good end; and there are
several saints in the calendar who might be happy to exchange with St.
Ives!

I had slept that night in a good inn at Wakefield, made my breakfast by
candle-light with the passengers of an up-coach, and set off in a very
ill temper with myself and my surroundings. It was still early; the air
raw and cold; the sun low, and soon to disappear under a vast canopy of
rain-clouds that had begun to assemble in the north-west, and from that
quarter invaded the whole width of the heaven. Already the rain fell in
crystal rods; already the whole face of the country sound