A groping hand knocked against my arm and tightened on it. I gave a groan. "Are you hurt, Morrice? Oh, my God! I thought you would never come!" "You have heard nothing?" "Nothing." "Not a sound? Not--not a cry?" "Nothing." "Quick, then!" said I. "We must be miles away by morning." He led me to where our horses stood, and we untied them and threaded through the trees to the road. "Help me to mount, Jack!" said I. He pulled a flask from his pocket and held it to my lips. 'Twas neat brandy, but I gulped a draught of it as though it were so much water. Then he helped me into the saddle and settled my feet in the stirrups. "Why, Morrice," he asked, "what have you done with your spurs?" "I left them on the terrace," said I, remembering. "I left my spurs, my pistol, and--and something else. But quick, Jack, quick!" 'Twould have saved me much trouble had I brought that "something else" with me, or at least examined it more closely before I left it there. He swung himself on to the back of his horse, and we set off at a canter. But we had not gone twenty yards when I cried, "Stop!" 'Twas as though the windows of the Castle sprang at us suddenly out of the darkness, each one alive with a tossing glare of links. It seemed to me that a hundred angry eyes were searching for me. I drove my heels into my horse's flanks and galloped madly down the road in the direction of Italy. A quarter of a mile further, and a bend of the valley hid the Castle from our sight; but I knew that I should never get the face of Countess Lukstein from before my eyes, or the sound of her cry out of my ears. CHAPTER VII. I RETURN HOME AND HEAR NEWS OF COUNTESS LUKSTEIN. From Lukstein we rode hot-foot down the Vintschgau Thal to Meran, and thence by easy stages to Verona, in Italy. I had no great fear of pursuit or detection after the first day, since the road was much frequented by travellers, and neither my spurs, nor my pistol, nor the miniature of Julian bore any marks by which Jack or myself could be singled out. At Verona an inflammation set up in my wounded shoulder, very violent and severe, so that I lay in that town for some weeks delirious and at death's door. Indeed, but for Jack's assiduous care in nursing me, I must infallibly have lost my life. At length, however, being somewhat recovered, I was carried southwards to Naples, and thence we wandered from town to town through the provinces of Italy until, in the year 1686, the fulness of the spring renewed my blood and set my fancies in a tide towards home. Jack accompanied me to England and took up his abode in my house in Cumberland, being persuaded without much difficulty to abandon his pretence of studying the law, and to throw in his lot with me for good and all. "My estates need a steward," said I, "and I--God knows I need a friend." And with little more talk the bargain was struck.