At last she came out, pale with fury, and finding Ryder near the door, shrieked out, "Take that reptile to his den, if he is mean enough to lie in this house:" then, lowering her voice, "and bring Thomas Leicester to me." Ryder went to Leicester, and told him. But he objected to come. "You have betrayed me," said he. "Curse my weak heart, and my loose tongue. I have done the poor Squire an ill turn. I can never look him in the face again. But 'tis all thy fault, double-face. I hate the sight of thee." At this Ryder shed some crocodile tears; and very soon, by her blandishments, obtained forgiveness. And Leicester, since the mischief was done, was persuaded to see the Dame, who was his recent benefactor, you know. He bargained, however, that the Squire should be got to bed first, for he had a great dread of meeting him. "He'll break every bone in my skin," said Tom; "or else I shall do _him_ a mischief in my defense." Ryder herself saw the wisdom of this: she bade him stay quiet, and she went to look after Griffith. She found him in the drawing-room, with his head on the table, in deep dejection. She assumed authority, and said he must go to bed. He rose humbly, and followed her like a submissive dog. She took him to his room. There was no fire. "That is where you are to sleep," said she, spitefully. "It is better than I deserve," said he, humbly. The absurd rule about not hitting a man when he is down, has never obtained a place in the great female soul; so Ryder lashed him without mercy. "Well, sir," said she, "methinks you have gained little by breaking faith with me. Y' had better have set up your inn with me, than gone and sinned against the law." "Much better: would to Heaven I had!" "What d'ye mean to do now? You know the saying. Between two stools--." "Child," said Griffith, faintly, "methinks I shall trouble neither long. I am not so ill a man as I seem; but who will believe that? I shall not live long. And I shall leave an ill name behind me. _She_ told me so just now. And, oh, her eye was so cruel; I saw my death in it." "Come, come," said Ryder, relenting a little, "you mustn't believe every word an angry woman says. There, take my advice; go to bed; and in the morning don't speak to her; keep out of her way a day or two." And with this piece of friendly advice she left him; and waited about till she thought he was in bed and asleep. Then she brought Thomas Leicester up to her mistress. But Griffith was not in bed; and he heard Leicester's heavy tread cross the landing. He waited and waited behind his door for more than half an hour, and then he heard the same heavy tread go away again. By this time nearly all the inmates of the house were asleep. About twenty-five minutes after Leicester left Mrs. Gaunt, Caroline Ryder stole quietly upstairs from the kitchen; and sat down to think it all over.