I dared not trust myself to continue the conversation in this vein. There was no doubt about it, although I be writ down here as a fool, I was head over heels in love with this beautiful and daring woman. She had captured my heart as completely as she had captured my person back on the highroad. I was helpless before her. And only the fact that she was in some small measure in my debt prevented me from carrying her heart by escalade. I would have taken it by storm like a soldier had it not been that gratitude might have inclined a capitulation, which I would not accept unless it came from an interest and affection that equalled my own. I answered her salute in kind, therefore, and, not trusting myself to say another word, turned on my heel and went out, accompanied by Master Dunner, who desired to walk a space with me and talk further about these various matters. He begged Lady Katharine to retire at once and get such rest as she could, if she persisted in her determination to ride south in the morning, and he promised to be with her betimes. "Sir Hugh," he began, as we walked along the almost deserted street,--the house being in one of the meaner quarters of the city for safety,--"it is idle to attempt to disguise from me that you have placed yourself in a position of considerable danger." "I did not choose," said I, "to dwell upon that in the presence of her ladyship, for obvious reasons." "I understand," said the old lawyer gravely, and yet with a little twinkle in his eye. "Your interest in her ladyship can only arise from one cause." "You are not so blind as I fancied, Master Dunner," I returned, smiling. "I confess to you, I have never met a woman of her spirit, her wit, her resource, and, if I may judge from what I see, of her beauty, of..." "You may spare me the catalogue of her ladyship's attractions," said the old man drily, "not because I am not fain to hear you dilate upon them, but there are other matters more pressing which must be considered between us, and more interesting as well." "There is nothing more interesting," said I--and if I had been a young cornet instead of a veteran captain of horse well on his way to majority, who indeed might have commanded a regiment had he chosen to give up his place in the King's bodyguard, I could not have been more reckless in my speech--"than discussing Lady Katharine, but what you say is true. I cannot and need not disguise from you that my position is somewhat perilous."