Well! you're strong on your legs, too--and what
a blessing that is, isn't it? There's the road, you can't miss it. I
wish I was going your way--it's pleasant to meet with gentlemen from
London in a lost corner like this. One hears the news. Wish you
good-morning, sir, and thank you kindly once more."

We parted. As I left the church behind me I looked back, and there
were the two men again on the road below, with a third in their
company, that third person being the short man in black whom I had
traced to the railway the evening before.

The three stood talking together for a little while, then separated.
The man in black went away by himself towards Welmingham--the other two
remained together, evidently waiting to follow me as soon as I walked
on.

I proceeded on my way without letting the fellows see that I took any
special notice of them. They caused me no conscious irritation of
feeling at that moment--on the contrary, they rather revived my sinking
hopes. In the surprise of discovering the evidence of the marriage, I
had forgotten the inference I had drawn on first perceiving the men in
the neighbourhood of the vestry. Their reappearance reminded me that
Sir Percival had anticipated my visit to Old Welmingham church as the
next result of my interview with Mrs. Catherick--otherwise he would
never have placed his spies there to wait for me. Smoothly and fairly
as appearances looked in the vestry, there was something wrong beneath
them--there was something in the register-book, for aught I knew, that
I had not discovered yet.

X

Once out of sight of the church, I pressed forward briskly on my way to
Knowlesbury.

The road was, for the most part, straight and level. Whenever I looked
back over it I saw the two spies steadily following me. For the greater
part of the way they kept at a safe distance behind. But once or twice
they quickened their pace, as if with the purpose of overtaking me,
then stopped, consulted together, and fell back again to their former
position. They had some special object evidently in view, and they
seemed to be hesitating or differing about the best means of
accomplishing it. I could not guess exactly what their design might
be, but I felt serious doubts of reaching Knowlesbury without some
mischance happening to me on the way. These doubts were realised.

I had just entered on a lonely part of the road, with a sharp turn at
some distance ahead, and had just concl