her deprivations had occasioned her acquiring. She laid one hand
on his arm, and a finger of the other on her own lips, as if to enjoin
forbearance; and Julian, knowing that she acted by the direct authority
of the Countess, obeyed her accordingly; but with the internal
resolution to lose no time in communicating his sentiments to the Earl,
concerning the danger to which the Castle was exposed on this point.

In the meantime, he descended the ladder with some precaution, for the
steps were unequal, broken, wet, and slippery; and having placed himself
in the stern of the boat, made a signal to the men to push off, and
turned to take farewell of his guide. To his utter astonishment, Fenella
rather slid down, than descended regularly, the perilous ladder, and,
the boat being already pushed off, made a spring from the last step of
it with incredible agility, and seated herself beside Peveril, ere he
could express either remonstrance or surprise. He commanded the men once
more to pull in to the precarious landing-place; and throwing into his
countenance a part of the displeasure which he really felt, endeavoured
to make her comprehend the necessity of returning to her mistress.
Fenella folded her arms, and looked at him with a haughty smile, which
completely expressed the determination of her purpose. Peveril was
extremely embarrassed; he was afraid of offending the Countess, and
interfering with her plan, by giving alarm, which otherwise he was much
tempted to have done. On Fenella, it was evident, no species of argument
which he could employ was likely to make the least impression; and the
question remained, how, if she went on with him, he was to rid himself
of so singular and inconvenient a companion, and provide, at the same
time, sufficiently for her personal security.

The boatmen brought the matter to a decision; for, after lying on their
oars for a minute, and whispering among themselves in Low Dutch or
German, they began to pull stoutly, and were soon at some distance from
the Castle. The possibility of the sentinels sending a musket-ball, or
even a cannon-shot, after them, was one of the contingencies which gave
Peveril momentary anxiety; but they left the fortress, as they must have
approached it, unnoticed, or at least unchallenged--a carelessness on
the part of the garrison, which, notwithstanding that the oars were
muffled, and that the men spoke little, and in whispers, argued, in
Peveril's opinion, great ne