"What's that? Who is aunt?" said Sir Harry, in a tone as if deciding that it was gossip; but this put John rather more on his mettle, and he said, "My aunt, Judith Grey, sir." "How did she hear?" "Through the window. She heard them laying it out." "She is bedridden," put in the captain; "but a clever, sensible woman." "Whom did she hear or see?" "She couldn't see nobody, sir. It was a strange voice," John was trying to save the truth. "Oh! and what did she hear?" "They was planning to go round the place and call up the men--that's to-day," said John. "Are you sure it was to-day? Did she tell you she heard it?" "Yes, sir. And," John bethought him, "there was a great row going on at the `Fox and Hounds,' and when I came past Poppleby, a whole lot of them come out singing `Down with the machines.'" "That's more like it, if it was not a mere drunken uproar," said Sir Harry. "I suppose you did not know any of the voices?" said one of the other gentlemen. John could hold his tongue this time. "And you came all this way by night, twenty miles and odd, to warn Captain Carbonel, on your aunt's information?" said Sir Harry, thoughtfully. "Are you sure that she could hear distinctly?" "One can hear in her room talk in our garden as well as if it was in the room," replied John. "Well! you are a good lad, well intentioned," said Sir Harry. "Here's half-a-crown to pay your journey back. We will consider what is to be done." John had rather not have taken the half-crown, but he did not know how to say so, so he pulled his forelock and accepted it. Captain Carbonel came out of the coffee-room with him, and called to the hostler to let him lie down and rest for a couple of hours, when the Red Rover would change horses there, and then call him, and pay for his journey back to Poppleby. So John lay down on clean straw and slept, too much tired out to put thoughts together, and unaware of the discussion among the gentlemen. For Sir Harry Hartman was persuaded that it was Delafield that needed protection, and was inclined to make little of John Hewlett's warning, thinking that it rested on the authority of a sick nervous woman, and that there was no distinct evidence but that of the young man who would not speak out, and only went by hearsay.