"Well, well, good-night, good-night, sirs," Nancy cried hastily and somewhat disconcerted. To tell the truth, she had begun to think kindly of Plunkett. Plunkett went thoughtfully to the outer door and carefully locked it, then turned and regarded the girls who stood silently and a little sadly, apart. "Good-night," he said: and Lionel looking tenderly at Martha murmured, "Good-night," and the two men went away to their own part of the house, leaving the girls alone. "Nancy----" Martha whispered softly, after a moment. "Madame?" "What next?--how escape?" "How can we go?" "We must----" "It is very dark and the way is strange to us," she said, sadly and fearfully. "Well, fortune has given us gentle masters, at least," Martha murmured. "Yes--kind and good----" "What if the Queen should hear of this?" "Oh, Lord!" And at that moment came a soft knocking at the window. Both girls started. "What's that?" More knocking! "Gracious heaven! I am nearly dead with fear," Martha whispered, looking stealthily about. Nancy pointed to the window. "Look----" Martha looked. "Tristram--Sir Tristram!" she whispered excitedly. "Open the window. I can't move, I am so scared. Now, he'll rave--and I can't resent it. We deserve anything he may say." Nancy opened the window, and Sir Tristram stepped in softly, upon receiving a caution from the girls. "Lady Harriet, this is most monstrous." "Oh, my soul! Don't we know it. Don't wake the farmers up, in heaven's name! Things are bad enough without making them worse." "Yes, let us fly, and make as little row about it as we can," Nancy implored. "Then come--no words. I have my carriage waiting; follow me quickly and say good-bye to this hovel." "Hovel?" Lady Harriet looked about. Suddenly she had a feeling of regret. "Hovel?" "Nay," Nancy interrupted. "To this peaceful house--good-bye." Nancy, too, had a regret. They had had a gleeful hour here, among frank and kindly folk, even if they had also been a bit frightened. Anything that had gone wrong with them had been their fault. Tristram placed a bench at the window that the ladies might climb over, and thus they got out, and immediately the sound of their carriage wheels was heard in the yard. Plunkett had waked up meantime and had come out to call the girls. It was time for their day's work to begin. Farmer folk are out of bed early. "Ho, girls!--time to be up," he called, entering from his chamber. Then he saw the open window. He paused. "Do I hear carriage wheels--and the window open--and the bench--and the girls--gone! Ho there! Everybody!" he rushed out and furiously pulled the bell which hung from the pole outside. His farmhands come running. "Ho--those girls hired yesterday have gone. Get after them. Bring them back. I may drop dead the next instant, but I'll be bound they shan't treat us in this manner. After them! Back they shall come!" And in the midst of all this confusion in ran Lionel. "What----"