The scene was one which Stubbs could not comprehend. He thought it very odd, but he said nothing. In a few seconds after, Grace left the apartment--a step to which she was urged by two motives. Captain Stubbs had threatened that he would instantly go himself, with his whole troop, on foot, to search the wood in which the fugitive had concealed himself--a measure which, if executed, would almost certainly secure the capture of M'Gregor, or, at least, render it a very probable event. The other motive, proceeding from this circumstance, was, to see whether she could not fall on any means of preventing the threatened expedition. On leaving the apartment, Grace met the serjeant on his way to Captain Stubbs, to make his report of the proceeding in which he had just been engaged. Without well knowing for what precise purpose, but with some general idea that she might prevail on him, by some means or other, to second her views in defeating the object of Stubbs' proposed search, she stopped him, and hurriedly conducted him into an unoccupied apartment. "Oh, serjeant!" she exclaimed, in great agitation, and scarcely knowing what she said, "will you--will you do me a favour--a great favour, serjeant? For God's sake, do not refuse me!" The man looked at her in utter amazement. "Your captain," continued Grace, "proposes renewing the pursuit of the person that has just escaped you. I am interested in that person. Now, serjeant, will you do what you can to prevent this search taking place, or to render it unavailing if it does?" And with these last words she put a purse, containing ten guineas, into the serjeant's hand. The man looked from the gift to the giver, and again from the latter to the former, in silent astonishment, for several seconds. At length-- "Why, miss," he said, "since you _are_ in such a taking about this matter, and as I don't mind a poor fellow's escaping now and then, I _will_ do what I can to serve you in the case." And he put the purse into his pocket. "Oh, thank you, serjeant, thank you!--God bless you for these words!" said Grace, in a rapture of joy. "But how--how, serjeant, will you manage it?" "Oh, leave me alone for that, miss," replied the latter; "I knows how to manage it, and I'll do it effectually, I warrant you. I can send captain in any direction I please on the shortest notice. He don't like the smell of gunpowder, though he be a soldier; and, when he can, always follows the wind that brings it." In a few minutes after, Serjeant Higginbotham was in the presence of the pink of chivalry, Captain Stubbs. Having informed the latter briefly of the result of the pursuit, he added, that, when he was out, he had seen "something suspicious." "What was it?" inquired Stubbs, in a tone and with a look of alarm. "Why, sir," responded the serjeant, "a crowd of people assembled on the face of the hill where the fellow escaped us."