“And you!” cried Norton, passionately. “You are in my power. Do you understand that?” Beside himself with wrath, Gabriel dragged himself up on to his knees and drew his sword from the scabbard. Meg and Nan glanced round at him uneasily; and Hilary, conscious of the movement though her back was turned to the hedge, grew desperate in her anxiety. “No, no!” she panted. “You are too brave a man to take so base an advantage.” “Pshaw!” said Norton, sneeringly. “The man’s a fool who neglects to use his advantages. You think only of the dear Puritan. You only fear what I may do to him. Well, I will confide in you. I have sent a trusty ambassador to Ledbury, and he is sure to make Captain Harford prisoner. Then, when he is in my power--well, there are many ways of exterminating rats--and rebels.” Hilary choked back a sob, and moved a few steps from the hedge. “I am told,” said Norton with a cruel smile, “that Sir Francis Doddington hung fourteen rebels at Andover t’other day. And elsewhere twelve of them were strung up to one apple-tree. We might hang Captain Harford from one of those apple-trees yonder; it would be a fitting death for a Herefordshire man.” With a wild hope of getting him out of the orchard she moved as though to go, trusting that he might follow’. But Norton was too quick for her. “Come! cheer up and don’t be so silent,” he said, throwing his arm round her waist. “We’ll talk no more of the Puritan. Let us kiss and be friends.” “Don’t touch me!” she cried, indignantly, wrenching herself from his embrace. “You are worse than a murderer.” Norton laughed mockingly. “Now that was a foolish speech, for as I warned you, the game is in my hands.” “Thank God! there is someone coming,” cried Hilary, catching sight of a man slowly approaching by the path from Ledbury, and running swiftly towards him. “Why, Waghorn! is it you?” she exclaimed, recognising the well-known face of the wood-carver beneath a bandage tied about his forehead. “You have little liking for us, but I know you will help me now.” “Mistress!” said Waghorn grimly, “I have a word to speak with yonder Governor of Canon Frome, and I cannot serve you.” Norton strode angrily towards him. “A word to speak, indeed! What have you been about? Where is your prisoner?” Hilary in great astonishment stood by, glancing from one to the other. Waghorn, then, had been the Colonel’s ambassador! Had he suddenly turned Royalist, or was it merely to revenge himself on Gabriel that he had become a spy? “Sir,” said Waghorn, “I did all that you told me. Last night, having changed my outward man, I followed Captain Harford wherever he went in Ledbury. As the shadow followeth the wayfaring man when the sun shineth, so did I follow him. I saw Colonel Massey give him the despatches.” “Well! Well! did you take them?” asked Norton, impatiently. Not heeding the interruption, Waghorn stolidly resumed his tale.