half passed, and then the woman from above ran down with
the news that she could see three horsemen galloping together towards
the castle, with a number of others following in confused order behind.

"Then they have found my lord," Edith exclaimed joyfully, "for Ralph
would assuredly not return so quickly had they not done so. It's a good
sign that they are galloping, for had they been bearers of ill news
they would have returned more slowly; look out again and see if they are
bearing one among them."

The woman, with some of her companions, hastened away, and in two or
three minutes ran down with the news that Sir Walter himself was one of
the three leading horsemen. In a few minutes Edith was clasped in her
husband's arms, and their joy, restored as they were from the dead to
each other, was indeed almost beyond words.

The plague now abated fast in Westerham, only two or three more persons
being attacked by it. As soon as Edith was sufficiently recovered to
travel Walter proceeded with her to London and there laid before the
king and prince a complaint against Sir James Carnegie for his attempt
upon their lives. Even in the trance in which she lay, Edith had
recognized the voice which had once been so familiar to her. Walter,
too, was able to testify against him, for the rough jolting on horseback
had for a while restored his consciousness, and he had heard words
spoken, before relapsing into insensibility from the continued bleeding
of his wound, which enabled him to swear to Sir James Carnegie as one of
his abductors.

The king instantly ordered the arrest of the knight, but he could not
be found; unavailing search was made in every direction, and as nothing
could be heard of him it was concluded that he had left the kingdom. He
was proclaimed publicly a false and villainous knight, his estates were
confiscated to the crown, and he himself was outlawed. Then Walter and
his wife returned home and did their best to assist their tenants in
struggling through the difficulties entailed through the plague.

So terrible had been the mortality that throughout England there was a
lack of hands for field work, crops rotted in the ground because there
were none to harvest them, and men able to work demanded twenty times
the wages which had before been paid. So great was the trouble from this
source that an ordinance was passed by parliament enacting that severe
punishment should be dealt upon all who demanded wages above