"James," I said, "I think that we must be ready to go away if we are threatened in any way. Go down to the stables and saddle a fresh horse for you, and my own. Then come up here again and pack a pair of valises. I do not know as yet whether we must go or not; but we must be ready for it. Then take the valises and the horses down to the meadow, through the garden, and tie all up there, under the shadow of the trees from where you can see the house. And you must remain there yourself till twelve o'clock to-night. At twelve o'clock, as near as I can tell it, if all is quiet I will show a light three times from the garret window; and when you see that you can come back again and go to bed. If they are after us at all they will come when they think we are all asleep; and it will be before twelve o'clock. Do you understand it all?" (I was very glib in all this; for I had thought it out all beforehand, if ever there should be an alarm of this kind.) My man said that he understood very well, and went away, and I down to the Great Chamber where I had left my cousins. As I came in at the door, my Cousin Tom woke up with a great snuffle; and stared at me as if amazed, as folks do when suddenly awakened. "Well; to bed," he said. "I am half there already." My Cousin Dorothy looked up from her sewing; and I think she knew that something was forward; for she continued to look at me. "Not to bed yet, Cousin Tom," I said. "There is a matter I must speak of first." Well; I sat down and told him as gently as I could--all the affair, except of the King's packet; and by the time I was done he was no longer at all drowsy. I told him too of the design I had formed, and that James was gone to carry it out. "Had you not best be gone at once?" he said; and I saw the terror in his eyes, lest he too should be embroiled. But my Cousin Dorothy looked at me, unafraid; only there was a spot of colour on either cheek. "Well," I said, "I can ride out into the fields and wait there, if you wish it, until morning: if you will send for me then if all be quiet." But I explained to him again that I was in two minds as to whether I should go at all, so very small was the evidence of danger. He looked foolish at that; but I could see that he wanted me gone: so I stood up. "Well, Cousin," I said, "I see that you will be easier if I go. I will begone first and see whether James has the horses out; and you had best meanwhile go to my chamber and put away all that can incriminate you--in one of your hiding-holes." I was half-way to the kitchen when I heard my Cousin Dorothy come after me; and I could see that she was in a great way. "Cousin," she said, "I am ashamed that my father should speak like that. If I were mistress--" "My dear Cousin," I said lightly, "if you were mistress, I should not be here at all." "It is a shame," she said again, paying no attention, as her way was when she liked. "It is a shame that you should spend all night in the fields for nothing."