hed and surged through his brain. A thousand conflicting
impulses swayed him as he revolved the situation with all the
rapidity of quickened thought.

It was but a minute, yet it seemed like an hour to him before he
placed his hand upon that of the eager woman and answered steadily:

"I am willing."

She clutched his hand and held it fast.

"My heart did not deceive me. I knew that thou wert a true man.
Jacob Dyson, listen to my words, and take good heed to them, and I
will strive so to work that no harm shall befall thee, albeit I may
not deny that thou mayest stand in some jeopardy. Take and put on
this long cloak that I carry beneath my arm; wrap it well about
thee, and turn up its collar that it hide well thy face. Pull thy
hat down over thy eyes--so. And now take this ring and put it upon
thy finger. I have told thee where Cuthbert Trevlyn is lodged this
night. Go to the house and ask speech of Master Dibbler. When thou
seest him, show him that ring, and tell him that Esther, the wise
woman, has sent thee with it, and that she desires him to let thee
have a brief interview alone with his prisoner, who has something
to say to thee for me of the utmost value to all. Show not thy
face, show only the ring, and unless I be greatly deceived, he will
take thee to the prisoner forthwith, and lock thee up together
alone. The rest thou canst almost divine. Thou must lose no time,
but cut the cords that bind him, wrap him in this cloak--ye are
much of a height--and so muffled he may well pass out in the
darkness unheeded. Thou must stay behind in the prison bound as he
was bound. In the morning thou wilt be given over to the officers
of the law; for I misdoubt me much that Dibbler will ever find out
the trick that has been played upon him. He never saw Cuthbert
Trevlyn before, and I trow he has scarce observed what manner of
man he is. He will deliver thee up for one Cuthbert Trevlyn, taken
in the act of fleeing to the house where the conspirators are known
to lodge.

"But I trow that thy father's solid weight and Esther's acuteness
can soon serve to set thee at liberty. It will be an easy task to
show to all the world that thou art Jacob Dyson, a peaceable
citizen, and that thou hast been wrongly apprehended in the place
of another. Thou wilt be able to prove that at the hour men say
they found thee in that dark garden thou wast in thy father's or
thine uncle's house. Thy captors will be confused, enraged,
bewildered