lly when she entered, she checked, turned to
Dunne, and whispered something, to which his answer provoked from her a
laugh.

Now Barter, intrigued by this whispering and laughing, of which he
deemed himself the object, questioned Dunne upon it as they rode forth
again together.

"She asked me if you knew aught of the business," replied Dunne; "and I
answered 'No."'

"Business, say'st thou?" quoth Barter. "What business?"

"Sure, the business on which we came," Dunne evaded; and he laughed.

It was an answer that left Barter uneasy. Nor was his mind set at rest
by the parting words with which Dunne accompanied the half-crown for his
services.

"This is but an earnest of what's to come if you will meet me here on
Tuesday to show me the way to Moyle's Court again. I shall be bringing
two gentlemen with me--wealthy men, of a half-score thousand pounds a
year apiece. I tell you there will be a fine booty for my part, so fine
that I shall never want for money again all the days of my life. And, so
that you meet us here, you too may count upon a handsome reward."

Consenting, Barter went his ways home. But as he pondered Dunne's silly
speech, and marvelled that honest men should pay so disproportionately
for an honest service, he came to the reasonable conclusion that he had
to do with rebels. This made him so uneasy that he resolved at last to
lodge information with the nearest justice.

Now, it happened, by the irony of Fate, that the justice sought by
Barter was one Colonel Penruddock--the vindictive son of that Penruddock
whom the late John Lisle--whilst Lord President of the High Court--had
sentenced to death some thirty years ago for participation in an
unsuccessful Wiltshire rising against the Commonwealth.

The colonel, a lean, stark man of forty-five, heard with interest
Barter's story.

"Art an honest fellow!" he commended him. "What are the names of these
rogues?"

"The fellow named no names, sir."

"Well, well, we shall discover that for ourselves when we come to take
them at this trysting-place. Whither do you say you are to conduct
them?"

"To Moyle's Court, sir, where my Lady Lisle is to give them
entertainment."

The colonel stared a moment; then a heavy smile came to light the
saturnine face under the heavy periwig. Beyond that he gave no sign of
what was passing in his mind.

"You may go," he said slowly, at last. "Be sure we shall be at the tryst
to take these rascals."

But the colone