"You are quite welcome to remain here as long as you please, Mr. Fowden," said Constance--"the rather that I feel certain you will make no discovery. Markland will find you a chamber, where I hope you may rest comfortably." "I will order a room to be got ready at once for his honour," said Markland. "In the locked-up corridor?" observed the magistrate, with a laugh. "No, not there, sir," said the butler. "With your permission, Miss Rawcliffe, my men must also be quartered in the house," said Mr. Fowden. "You hear, Markland," observed Constance. "I will give directions accordingly," replied the butler. And he quitted the room. "I shall be blamed for neglect of duty if I do not make a thorough search," said the magistrate. "But I fancy the bird has flown," he added, with a glance at the priest. Father Jerome made no reply, but Constance remarked, with apparent indifference: "No one can have left the house without crossing the drawbridge, and that has been guarded. You will be able to state that you took all necessary precautions to prevent an escape." "Yes, I shall be able to state that--and something besides," replied the magistrate, again glancing at the priest. Just then, a noise was heard like the trampling of horses. Mr. Fowden uttered an exclamation of surprise, and a smile passed over the countenances of the two young ladies. "I should have thought the men were crossing the drawbridge if I had not felt quite sure they would not depart without me," said Mr. Fowden. "They have crossed the drawbridge--that's quite certain," observed the priest. At this moment Markland entered the room. "What have you been about?" cried the magistrate, angrily. "Have you dared to send my men away?" "No, sir," replied the butler, vainly endeavouring to maintain a grave countenance; "but it seems that a trick has been played upon them." "A trick!" exclaimed the magistrate. "Yes, and it has proved highly successful. Some one has taken your honour's hat and cloak from the hall, and thus disguised, has ridden off with the men, who didn't find out their mistake in the darkness." The two girls could not control their laughter. "This may appear a good joke to you, sir," cried the magistrate, who was highly incensed, addressing the butler; "but you'll pay dearly for it, I can promise you. You have aided and abetted the escape of a rebel and a traitor, and will be transported, if not hanged." "I have aided no escape, sir," replied the butler. "All I know is, that some one wrapped in a cloak, whom I took to be you, came out of the house, sprang on a horse, and bidding the men follow him, rode off." "He has prevented pursuit by taking my horse," cried Mr. Fowden; "and the worst of it is he is so much better mounted than the men that he can ride away from them at any moment. No chance now of his capture. Well, I shall be laughed at as an egregious dupe, but I must own I have been very cleverly outwitted."