Giving the man a piece of money, I rode back towards the Farmer's Rest again. Evidently the landlord had been purposely deceiving me. Why? My heart thumped loudly against my ribs, for I had grave suspicion that he desired to hide something from me. I made my way very quietly to the house. If he had reasons for deceiving me, it behoved me to be careful. I saw that the light still shone from the window of the room in which the landlord said his wife's sister lay. Telling Chestnut to stand still, I crept silently towards the house. I saw that the door was closed, and although I listened intently I could hear no sound. Placing my hand on the door handle, I was about to try and open it, when I saw a woman come from a building close by which was evidently used as a washhouse. She did not see me, neither did she come to the front door at which I stood. As far as I could judge, she was making her way to the yard at the back of the inn. "Surely," I thought, "that is Amelia Lanteglos." I started to follow her, when, the girl hearing my step turned around, and I saw that I was right. "Amelia," I whispered. "Good Lord, sur, is that you?" was her answer. "Yes, where is your mistress?" "Aw, I be glad, I be glad," she sobbed, "we've 'ad a terble time, sur--a terble time." "Is your mistress ill?" I asked. "She'll go mazed zoon." "Why?" She looked anxiously around, and then turned towards me again. "Ther's nobody harkenin', nobody do knaw you be 'ere, sur, do mun?" "No one. I called here less than an hour ago, and the landlord told me that his wife's sister had small-pox. So I rode away, but I found out that he told me false. That's why I've come back again. No one has seen me but you." "And you be my young missus' friend, be'ant 'ee, sur? You doan't main she no 'arm." "No." "Then I'll tell 'ee, sur. She's inside there weth Master Otho." I suspected this, so waited for her to proceed. "Colman es in the 'ouse too, sur; but 'ee's in bed. Mistress Nancy ded fire a pistol at un, and 'urt 'es arm. That was when Uncle Anthony was weth us." "But there were three." "Iss, sur. Maaster Clement es gone to Padstow." "What for." "Gone to fetch the priest, sur." "Why? To marry Otho to your mistress?" The maid sobbed. "She'll go mazed, sur. She's in ther weth Maaster Otho. You do knaw his way, sur. I believe he'll jist frighten her till she do marry un." "But why did they stop here?" "'Twas on account of Mistress Nancy, sur. She made out to faint an like that, sur, thinkin to gain time. But Maaster Otho can't be aisy bait. He brought her here, and ded send Clement off for the priest. Besides, Maaster Colman could hardly sit on the hoss."