"You will stay here on this side of the door until I send for you in the morning. If the prisoner by chance should get free of his bonds, or should fall from his bed, or should make any outcry, go in and kill him without further delay. You understand?" "I do, sir, and it shall be as you wish," he answered loudly. Macleod ostentatiously drew a chair up in front of the door and then, as I had need of him and could not leave him there, he rose from the chair and noiselessly followed me down the room. We extinguished the lights in the outer chamber, and, having locked all doors, took the keys with us. We had but little fear, unless some alarm was given, but that the Lord Chief Justice would be quite safe for the night, and that he was going to pass such night as he had never passed before. We waited to see the landlord, and I bestowed upon him some more of King James' his guineas. I showed him the letter sealed with Lord Jeffreys' seal. He could not read it, but he recognised the signet. "I know that seal full well," he said, entirely satisfied by it. "My Lord Jeffreys hath retired for the night, and upon no chance is he to be disturbed until morning, unless I should come back or send. He doth not wish the lady you know to be sent for." "I understand," he said knowingly. He was a wise and understanding landlord indeed! "The door is locked behind us," I added, "and, if you value your life, keep away from it and keep others away as well." "Your excellency shall be obeyed." By this time Macleod and the hostler of the Inn had brought around the horses again. We mounted them once more and cantered down the street until we struck the river road. So far everything had gone without a hitch. The King lay at Stenwold House; my wife had been recently brought there. Access to him would be difficult, doubtless, but I now had means to open the gate and pass the guard. Once inside it would go hard if I did not effect Katharine's release. If Clanranald had succeeded in his part of the plan all would be well. He ought not to be more than five hours behind the brigantine, I thought. As we got away from the houses, we eagerly searched the sea, and sure enough, between the far-away lighthouses on either side of the river-mouth, there was a vessel. It was so dark we could not have seen her had she not carried three lights set in a triangle, a red one at the top! Clanranald was on time. The tide now approaching full flood, he ought to be abreast Stenwold House in a few hours. We set spurs to our horses and dashed on rapidly. _Chapter_ XVI _How My Lord Stenwold settled his Account and paid his Debt in full_ Stenwold House stood on the bank of the river, about half-way between Monkwearmouth town and the lighthouse on the point that jutted out seaward far beyond. It was some distance from the outskirts of the village, and I noted, as we galloped along, that the surrounding country was lonesome and desolate.