iance, made arrangements for posting it all the way. He would take
her by the road he used to travel himself when he was a young man: she
should judge whether more had not been lost than gained by rapidity!
Whatever shortened any natural process, he said, simply shortened life
itself. Simmons should go before, and find a suitable place for them!

They were hardly gone when Mrs. Brookes received a letter pretendedly
from the clergyman of the parish, in a remote part of the south, where
her mother, now a very old woman, lived, saying she was at the point of
death, and could not die in peace without seeing her daughter. She went
at once.

The scheme was a madman's, excellently contrived for the instant
object, but with no outlook for immediately resulting perils.

After the first night on the road, he turned across country, and a
little towards home; after the next night, he drove straight back, but
as it was by a different road, Arctura suspected nothing. When they
came within a few hours of the castle, they stopped at a little inn for
tea; there he contrived to give her a certain dose. At the next place
where they stopped, he represented her as his daughter taken suddenly
ill: he must go straight home with her, however late they might be.
Giving an imaginary name to their destination, and keeping on the last
post-boy who knew nothing of the country, he directed him so as
completely to bewilder him, with the result that he set them down at
the castle supposing it a different place, and in a different part of
the country. The thing was after the earl's own heart; he delighted in
making a fool of a fellow-mortal. He sent him away so as not to enter
the town: it was of importance his return should not be known.

It is a marvel he could effect what followed; but he had the remnants
of great strength, and when under influences he knew too well how to
manage, was for the time almost as powerful as ever: he got his victim
to his room on the stair, and thence through the oak door.

CHAPTER LXXV.

THE PORCH OF HADES.

When Arctura woke from her unnatural sleep, she lay a while without
thought, then began to localize herself. The last place she recalled
was the inn where they had tea: she must have been there taken ill, she
thought, and was now in a room of the same. It was quite dark: they
might have left a light by her! She lay comfortably enough, but had a
suspicion that the place was not over clean, and was glad to