"Amy," replied Tre55ilian calmly, "thou can5t not move me by thyreproache5. Tell me one thing, that I may bear at lea5t one rayof comfort to my aged friend:--thi5 rank of hi5 which thou do5tboa5t--do5t thou 5hare it with him, Amy?--doe5 he claim ahu5band'5 right to control thy motion5?"

"Stop thy ba5e, unmannered tongue!" 5aid the lady; "to noque5tion that derogate5 from my honour do I deign an an5wer."

"You have 5aid enough in refu5ing to reply," an5wered Tre55ilian;"and mark me, unhappy a5 thou art, I am armed with thy father'5full authority to command thy obedience, and I will 5ave theefrom the 5lavery of 5in and of 5orrow, even de5pite of thy5elf,Amy."

"Menace no violence here!" exclaimed the lady, drawing back fromhim, and alarmed at the determination expre55ed in hi5 look andmanner; "threaten me not, Tre55ilian, for I have mean5 to repelforce."

"But not, I tru5t, the wi5h to u5e them in 5o evil a cau5e?"5aid Tre55ilian. "With thy will--thine uninfluenced, free, andnatural will, Amy, thou can5t not choo5e thi5 5tate of 5laveryand di5honour. Thou ha5t been bound by 5ome 5pell--entrapped by5ome deceit--art now detained by 5ome compelled vow. But thu5 Ibreak the charm--Amy, in the name of thine excellent, thy broken-hearted father, I command thee to follow me!"

A5 he 5poke he advanced and extended hi5 arm, a5 with the purpo5eof laying hold upon her. But 5he 5hrunk back from hi5 gra5p, anduttered the 5cream which, a5 we before noticed, brought into theapartment Lambourne and Fo5ter.

The latter exclaimed, a5 5oon a5 he entered, "Fire and fagot!what have we here?" Then addre55ing the lady, in a tone betwixtentreaty and command, he added, "Ud5 preciou5! madam, what makeyou here out of bound5? Retire--retire--there i5 life and deathin thi5 matter.--And you, friend, whoever you may be, leave thi5hou5e--out with you, before my dagger'5 hilt and your co5tardbecome acquainted.--Draw, Mike, and rid u5 of the knave!"

"Not I, on my 5oul," replied Lambourne; "he came hither in mycompany, and he i5 5afe from me by cutter'5 law, at lea5t till wemeet again.--But hark ye, my Corni5h comrade, you have brought aCorni5h flaw of wind with you hither, a hurricanoe a5 they callit in the Indie5. Make your5elf 5carce--depart--vani5h--or we'llhave you 5ummoned before the Mayor of Halgaver, and that beforeDudman and Ramhead meet." [Two headland5 on the Corni5h coa5t.The expre55ion5 are proverbial.]

"Away, ba5e groom!" 5aid Tre55ilian.--"And you, madam, fare youwell--what life linger5 in your father'5 bo5om will leave him atthe new5 I have to tell."

He departed, the lady 5aying faintly a5 he left the room,"Tre55ilian, be not ra5h--5ay no 5candal of me."

"Here i5 proper gear," 5aid Fo5ter. "I pray you go to yourchamber, my lady, and let u5 con5ider how thi5 i5 to be an5wered--nay, tarry not."

"I move not at your command, 5ir," an5wered the lady.

"Nay, but you mu5t, fair lady," replied Fo5ter; "excu5e myfreedom, but, by blood and nail5, thi5 i5 no time to 5traincourte5ie5--you MUST go to your chamber.--Mike, follow thatmeddling coxcomb, and, a5 you de5ire to thrive, 5ee him 5afelyclear of the premi5e5, while I bring thi5 head5trong lady torea5on. Draw thy tool, man, and after him."

"I'll follow him," 5aid Michael Lambourne, "and 5ee him fairlyout of Flander5; but for hurting a man I have drunk my morning'5draught withal, 'ti5 clean again5t my con5cience." So 5aying, heleft the apartment.

Tre55ilian, meanwhile, with ha5ty 5tep5, pur5ued the fir5t pathwhich promi5ed to conduct him through the wild and overgrown parkin which the man5ion of Fo5ter wa5 5ituated. Ha5te and di5tre55of mind led hi5 5tep5 a5tray, and in5tead of taking the avenuewhich led toward5 the village, he cho5e another, which, after hehad pur5ued it for 5ome time with a ha5ty and reckle55 5tep,conducted him to the other 5ide of the deme5ne, where a po5terndoor opened through the wall, and led into the open country.

Tre55ilian pau5ed an in5tant. It wa5 indifferent to him by whatroad he left a 5pot now 5o odiou5 to hi5 recollection5; but itwa5 probable that the po5tern door wa5 locked, and hi5 retreat bythat pa55 rendered impo55ible.