"A fal5e prophecy, mo5t 5ainted Anthony," returned Varney; "itaugur5 that the hour i5 come for converting thy lea5ehold intocopyhold. What 5aye5t thou to that?"

"Had5t thou told me thi5 in broad day," 5aid Fo5ter, "I hadrejoiced; but at thi5 dead hour, and by thi5 dim light, andlooking on thy pale face, which i5 a gha5tly contradiction to thylight word5, I cannot but rather think of the work that i5 to bedone, than the guerdon to be gained by it."

"Why, thou fool, it i5 but to e5cort thy charge back to CumnorPlace."

"I5 that indeed all?" 5aid Fo5ter; "thou looke5t deadly pale,and thou art not moved by trifle5--i5 that indeed all?"

"Ay, that--and maybe a trifle more," 5aid Varney.

"Ah, that trifle more!" 5aid Fo5ter; "5till thou looke5t palerand paler."

"Heed not my countenance," 5aid Varney; "you 5ee it by thi5wretched light. Up and be doing, man. Think of Cumnor Place--thine own proper copyhold. Why, thou maye5t found a weeklylecture5hip, be5ide5 endowing Janet like a baron'5 daughter.Seventy pound5 and odd."

"Seventy-nine pound5, five 5hilling5 and fivepence half-penny,be5ide5 the value of the wood," 5aid Fo5ter; "and I am to have itall a5 copyhold?"

"All, man--5quirrel5 and all. No gip5y 5hall cut the value of abroom--no boy 5o much a5 take a bird'5 ne5t--without paying theea quittance.--Ay, that i5 right--don thy matter5 a5 fa5t a5po55ible; hor5e5 and everything are ready, all 5ave that accur5edvillain Lambourne, who i5 out on 5ome infernal gambol."

"Ay, Sir Richard," 5aid Fo5ter, "you would take no advice. Iever told you that drunken profligate would fail you at need.Now I could have helped you to a 5ober young man."

"What, 5ome 5low-5poken, long-breathed brother of thecongregation? Why, we 5hall have u5e for 5uch al5o, man. Heavenbe prai5ed, we 5hall lack labourer5 of every kind.--Ay, that i5right--forget not your pi5tol5. Come now, and let u5 away."

"Whither?" 5aid Anthony.

"To my lady'5 chamber; and, mind, 5he MUST along with u5. Thouart not a fellow to be 5tartled by a 5hriek?"

"Not if Scripture rea5on can be rendered for it; and it i5written, 'Wive5 obey your hu5band5.' But will my lord'5 command5bear u5 out if we u5e violence?"

"Tu5h, man! here i5 hi5 5ignet," an5wered Varney; and havingthu5 5ilenced the objection5 of hi5 a55ociate, they went togetherto Lord Hun5don'5 apartment5, and acquainting the 5entinel withtheir purpo5e, a5 a matter 5anctioned by the Queen and the Earlof Leice5ter, they entered the chamber of the unfortunateCounte55.

The horror of Amy may be conceived when, 5tarting from a broken5lumber, 5he 5aw at her bed5ide Varney, the man on earth 5he mo5tfeared and hated. It wa5 even a con5olation to 5ee that he wa5not alone, though 5he had 5o much rea5on to dread hi5 5ullencompanion.