"Ah! Mistress Barbara, you know naught of the matter, for you yourself have no heart at all." "And I marvel that you should still have one, considering how frequently you have lost it." "I vow——" "Hush!" The jingle of accoutrements sounded round the corner of the road, and at the same moment they became aware of horses slowly approaching, a sound which hitherto they had been too much engrossed in their conversation to heed. "Alack! ’Tis the troopers," whispered Barbara. "Back, ere it be too late." But the time for escape had passed; for even as she spoke, and before Sir Peter had fully grasped the situation, the troopers had rounded the corner of the road, and were face to face with the fugitive. They could scarcely be described as an imposing-looking force. Since daybreak they had been out scouring the country for rebels, beating the woods, ransacking the barns, following a wild-goose chase after false information extracted from the sullen country-folk, and were now returning to the village, worn out, dejected, and mud-stained. It would have been difficult to find a more forlorn-looking crew, even among the unfortunate men whom they hunted. But at sight of the couple before them their dejection instantly vanished. The man’s rich dress, handsome still, despite its draggled appearance, his presence on the road at this hour, and the horrified exclamation of the girl, all tended to prove that this was the man whom they sought. With a quick exclamation, the leader sprang from his horse and striding up to Sir Peter seized his horse’s bridle, crying sharply, "I arrest you in the King’s name. Surrender like a wise man, or take the consequences." Sir Peter reined his horse back abruptly, and glanced round at his enemies with a muttered curse. But in Mistress Barbara the danger only roused a spirit of excitement and mischief. She flung up her head and laughed. "Cock-a-doodle-do! Who is afraid of you?" she sang saucily. Captain Protheroe was somewhat discomfited by this unexpected answer. He threw an angry glance in the direction of the girl, and otherwise ignoring her presence, turned again to his prisoner. "Come, sir, I ask you again, do you surrender, or must I order my men to seize you?" "And I repeat," remarked the girl again, "that you crow too loudly, noble sir." One of the troopers in the background laughed, and the captain turned furiously on Barbara.