addition to the danger of their being discovered, there was the imminent
risk of their being destroyed by damp, so that no time must be lost in
regaining them before too late. She therefore determined on another
journey to the north, and, for greater secrecy, on horseback, though
this mode of travelling, which was new to her, was extremely fatiguing.
She, however, with her maid, Mrs. Evans, and a servant that could be
depended on, set out from London, and reached Traquhair in safety and
without any one being aware of her intentions. Here she ventured to rest
two days, in the society of her sister-in-law and Lord Traquhair,
feeling security in the conviction that, as the lord-lieutenant of the
county was an old friend of her husband's, he would not allow any search
to be made after her without first giving her warning to abscond. From
thence she proceeded to Terreagles, whither it was supposed she came
with the permission of Government; and to keep up that opinion, she
invited her neighbours to visit her. That same night she dug up the
papers from their hiding-place, where happily they had sustained no
injury, and sent them at once, by safe hands, to Traquhair. This was
accomplished just in time, for the magistrates of Dumfries began to
entertain suspicions of her right to be there, and desired to see her
leave from Government. On hearing this, "I expressed," she says, "my
surprise that they had been so backward in paying their respects; 'but,'
said I, 'better late than never: be sure to tell them that they shall be
welcome whenever they choose to come.' This was after dinner; but I lost
no time to put everything in readiness, but with all possible secrecy;
and the next morning, before daybreak, I set off again for London, with
the same attendants, and, as before, I put up at the smallest inns, and
arrived safe once more."

George I. could not forgive Lady Nithsdale for the heroic part she had
acted: he refused, in her case, the allowance or dower which was granted
to the wives of the other lords. "A lady informed me," she says, "that
the king was extremely incensed at the news; that he had issued orders
to have me arrested, adding that I did whatever I pleased, despite of
all his designs, and that I had given him more trouble than any woman in
all Europe. For which reason I kept myself as closely concealed as
possible, till the heat of these rumours had abated. In the meanwhile, I
took the opinion of a very famous lawy