"O God?" exclaimed Eustace Trevor, almost in a groan; the knight also showing grievously affected. "How did you get this news?" "Win ha' brought it." "Win?" "Yes, colonel. Her be outside the door--waitin' permission to speak wi' you. She ha' been trusted wi' a letter from the young ladies." "Bring her in--instantly!" "Singular coincidence, Trevor!" said Sir Richard, as the sergeant passed out. "Already at Hollymead! Just what we've been fearing!" "Indeed, so. And all the more reason for our being there too." "I wonder who they are. Lingen's, think you?" "Rob says they're quartered there. That would hardly be Lingen's--so near his own garrison at Goodrich? More like some of Lord Herbert's Horse from Monmouth. And I hope it may be they." "Ah! true; it might be worse. But we'll soon hear. The cadgeress can tell, no doubt; or it'll be in the letter." The door, reopening, showed the Forest Amazon outside, Rob conducting her in. They could see that she was wet to the waist, her saturated skirt clinging around limbs of noble outline; while her heaving bosom with the heightened colour of her cheeks, told of a journey but just completed, and made in greatest haste. "You have a letter for me?" said Sir Richard interrogatively, as she stepped inside the room. "Yes, your honner, fra Hollymead." She spoke with hand raised to her head, as if adjusting one of the plaits of her hair. Instead, she was searching among them for the concealed epistle. Which, soon found, was handed over to him for whom it was intended. No surprise to Sir Richard at seeing a thing more like curl-paper than letter. It was not the first time for him to receive such, in a similar way; and, straightening it out under the lamplight, he was soon acquainted with its contents. So far from having the effect of allaying his excitement they but increased it, and he cried out to the sergeant, as he had to the trumpeter,-- "Quick to the men's quarters, Wilde, and help getting all ready for the route! Hubert's there by this time, and will have sounded the `Assembly.' Read that, Trevor! There's something that concerns you," and he handed the letter to his troop captain. The sergeant hurried away, leaving Win to be further questioned by the colonel. And while this was going on the young officer perused the epistle, to be affected by it in a similar fashion. It ran thus:-- "Ill tidings, Richard. Prince Rupert here, with his escort--about two hundred. Has just arrived, and intends staying the night; indeed, till father return home, he says. I hope father will not come home, unless you come with him. I'm sure they mean him harm. That horrid man, Lunsford, is in the Prince's suit; Reginald Trevor too. Winny will tell you more; I fear to lose time in writing. _Dear Richard! come if you can_."