"Escape! escape!" she said. "You cannot help me, and----" But before she could finish the sentence a great yell went up from many throats. "The man at _The Bull_!" "The man who drugged Master Sturgeon's ale!" "It is he who got her out of gaol!" "Ay, we saw him taking her to Goodlands!" These and a hundred other disjointed cries I heard, and then I was roughly seized by many hands. "What shall we do with him?" "Do! Why to gaol with him!" "This will be sugar and honey to Master Sturgeon." "Ay, and a feather in our cap when the king hears of it!" "We'll see now if he'll laugh at us a second time!" All this I heard as I was dragged along, but I took but little heed. My eyes were fixed on Mistress Constance's face, and I heeded not the angry shouts of those who held me in my delight at being near her. "Why did you do this?" I heard her say. "Because I could not help it," I replied. At this moment I heard a great cry of fear, and turning I saw Black Ben rushing towards me, while the crowd made way for him. He might have judged that I was in danger, for he came up to me, his eyes wild and his head uplifted high in the air. I thought for a moment that those who held me fast would have let me go as he came up, so fearful were they: nevertheless they did not release me, although they sheltered themselves behind me. What would have happened I know not, for at that moment the crowd was much excited, but Black Ben, as I thought, seemed to be making for Mistress Constance--whereupon I spoke angrily to him and bade him be still. He obeyed like a child, for so much had we been together at home that he had learnt to take note of the tones of my voice, and to come at my call like a well-trained spaniel. "What are you going to do with me?" I said to the men who held me fast. "Do? Take you to gaol, young master." "Why? What charge have you against me?" "We'll see to that to-morrow morning at the County Court!" was the reply. "Then let my horse be taken to _The Bull_ stables," I said, for even then I could not bear for him to suffer because of me. "Ay, and who'll take him?" was the reply. It was a strange procession as ever man saw, as we walked towards the river; for although my captors still held me fast, Black Ben walked near me, his eyes flashing, while every now and then he shook his head, and snorted dangerously. When we reached _The Bull_ we stopped. "Call the ostler," I said, as though I were in command instead of being a prisoner, and a few seconds later, Black Ben allowed himself to be led into the stables. By this time a greater crowd than ever had gathered. Indeed, as it seemed to me, the whole town had turned out to see us. This vexed me much, for I hated the thought that many hundreds of staring eyes were upon us, but Mistress Constance seemed to heed nothing. She walked along the street, and over the bridge, with head erect, and the faraway look in her eyes as when I had seen her first of all that night.