,' she said hurriedly. 'Yet I don't see why. Ah, you
are better than I!'

The trotting of the horses seemed to have again died away, and the pair
of listeners touched each other's fingers in the cold 'Good-night' of
those whom something seriously divided. They were on the landing, but
before they had taken three steps apart, the tramp of the horsemen
suddenly revived, almost close to the house. Lizzy turned to the
staircase window, opened the casement about an inch, and put her face
close to the aperture. 'Yes, one of 'em is Latimer,' she whispered. 'He
always rides a white horse. One would think it was the last colour for a
man in that line.'

Stockdale looked, and saw the white shape of the animal as it passed by;
but before the riders had gone another ten yards, Latimer reined in his
horse, and said something to his companion which neither Stockdale nor
Lizzy could hear. Its drift was, however, soon made evident, for the
other man stopped also; and sharply turning the horses' heads they
cautiously retraced their steps. When they were again opposite Mrs.
Newberry's garden, Latimer dismounted, and the man on the dark horse did
the same.

Lizzy and Stockdale, intently listening and observing the proceedings,
naturally put their heads as close as possible to the slit formed by the
slightly opened casement; and thus it occurred that at last their cheeks
came positively into contact. They went on listening, as if they did not
know of the singular incident which had happened to their faces, and the
pressure of each to each rather increased than lessened with the lapse of
time.

They could hear the excisemen sniffing the air like hounds as they paced
slowly along. When they reached the spot where the tub had burst, both
stopped on the instant.

'Ay, ay, 'tis quite strong here,' said the second officer. 'Shall we
knock at the door?'

'Well, no,' said Latimer. 'Maybe this is only a trick to put us off the
scent. They wouldn't kick up this stink anywhere near their
hiding-place. I have known such things before.'

'Anyhow, the things, or some of 'em, must have been brought this way,'
said the other.

'Yes,' said Latimer musingly. 'Unless 'tis all done to tole us the wrong
way. I have a mind that we go home for to-night without saying a word,
and come the first thing in the morning with more hands. I know they
have storages about here, but we can do nothing by this owl's light. We
will look round the