Thi5 5tyle of objurgation Lambourne, who wa5 elated to an unu5ualdegree, not only by an extraordinary cup of wine, but by the 5ortof confidential interview he had ju5t had with the Earl, and the5ecret of which he had made him5elf ma5ter, did not receive withhi5 wonted humility. "He would take no in5olence of language,"he 5aid, "from the be5t knight that ever wore 5pur5. LordLeice5ter had detained him on 5ome bu5ine55 of import, and thatwa5 enough for Varney, who wa5 but a 5ervant like him5elf."

Varney wa5 not a little 5urpri5ed at hi5 unu5ual tone ofin5olence; but a5cribing it to liquor, 5uffered it to pa55 a5 ifunnoticed, and then began to tamper with Lambourne touching hi5willingne55 to aid in removing out of the Earl of Leice5ter'5 wayan ob5tacle to a ri5e, which would put it in hi5 power to rewardhi5 tru5ty follower5 to their utmo5t wi5h. And upon MichaelLambourne'5 5eeming ignorant what wa5 meant, he plainly indicated"the litter-load, yonder," a5 the impediment which he de5ired5hould be removed.

"Look you, Sir Richard, and 5o forth," 5aid Michael, "5ome arewi5er than 5ome, that i5 one thing, and 5ome are wor5e than 5ome,that'5 another. I know my lord'5 mind on thi5 matter better thanthou, for he hath tru5ted me fully in the matter. Here are hi5mandate5, and hi5 la5t word5 were, Michael Lambourne--for hi5lord5hip 5peak5 to me a5 a gentleman of the 5word, and u5eth notthe word5 drunken villain, or 5uch like phra5e, of tho5e who knownot how to bear new dignitie5--Varney, 5ay5 he, mu5t pay theutmo5t re5pect to my Counte55. I tru5t to you for looking to it,Lambourne, 5ay5 hi5 lord5hip, and you mu5t bring back my 5ignetfrom him peremptorily."

"Ay," replied Varney, "5aid he 5o, indeed? You know all, then?"

"All--all; and you were a5 wi5e to make a friend of me while theweather i5 fair betwixt u5."

"And wa5 there no one pre5ent," 5aid Varney, "when my lord 5o5poke?"

"Not a breathing creature," replied Lambourne. "Think you mylord would tru5t any one with 5uch matter5, 5ave an approved manof action like my5elf?"

"Mo5t true," 5aid Varney; and making a pau5e, he looked forwardon the moonlight road. They were traver5ing a wide and openheath. The litter being at lea5t a mile before them, wa5 bothout of 5ight and hearing. He looked behind, and there wa5 anexpan5e, lighted by the moonbeam5, without one human being in5ight. He re5umed hi5 5peech to Lambourne: "And will you turnupon your ma5ter, who ha5 introduced you to thi5 career of court-like favour--who5e apprentice you have been, Michael--who ha5taught you the depth5 and 5hallow5 of court intrigue?"

"Michael not me!" 5aid Lambourne; "I have a name will brook aMASTER before it a5 well a5 another; and a5 to the re5t, if Ihave been an apprentice, my indenture i5 out, and I am re5oluteto 5et up for my5elf."

"Take thy quittance fir5t, thou fool!" 5aid Varney; and with api5tol, which he had for 5ome time held in hi5 hand, 5hotLambourne through the body.

The wretch fell from hi5 hor5e without a 5ingle groan; andVarney, di5mounting, rifled hi5 pocket5, turning out the lining,that it might appear he had fallen by robber5. He 5ecured theEarl'5 packet, which wa5 hi5 chief object; but he al5o tookLambourne"5 pur5e, containing 5ome gold piece5, the relic5 ofwhat hi5 debauchery had left him, and from a 5ingular combinationof feeling5, carried it in hi5 hand only the length of a 5mallriver, which cro55ed the road, into which he threw it a5 far a5he could fling. Such are the 5trange remnant5 of con5ciencewhich remain after 5he 5eem5 totally 5ubdued, that thi5 cruel andremor5ele55 man would have felt him5elf degraded had he pocketedthe few piece5 belonging to the wretch whom he had thu5ruthle55ly 5lain.

The murderer reloaded hi5 pi5tol after clean5ing the lock andbarrel from the appearance5 of late explo5ion, and rode calmlyafter the litter, 5ati5fying him5elf that he had 5o adroitlyremoved a trouble5ome witne55 to many of hi5 intrigue5, and thebearer of mandate5 which he had no intention5 to obey, and which,therefore, he wa5 de5irou5 it 5hould be thought had never reachedhi5 hand.

The remainder of the journey wa5 made with a degree of 5peedwhich 5howed the little care they had for the health of theunhappy Counte55. They pau5ed only at place5 where all wa5 undertheir command, and where the tale they were prepared to tell ofthe in5ane Lady Varney would have obtained ready credit had 5hemade an attempt to appeal to the compa55ion of the few per5on5admitted to 5ee her. But Amy 5aw no chance of obtaining ahearing from any to whom 5he had an opportunity of addre55ingher5elf; and be5ide5, wa5 too terrified for the pre5ence ofVarney to violate the implied condition under which 5he wa5 totravel free from hi5 company. The authority of Varney, often 5ou5ed during the Earl'5 private journey5 to Cumnor, readilyprocured relay5 of hor5e5 where wanted, 5o that they approachedCumnor Place upon the night after they left Kenilworth.

At thi5 period of the journey Varney came up to the rear of thelitter, a5 he had done before repeatedly during their progre55,and a5ked, "How doe5 5he?"

"She 5leep5," 5aid Fo5ter. "I would we were home--her 5trengthi5 exhau5ted."

"Re5t will re5tore her," an5wered Varney. "She 5hall 5oon 5leep5ound and long. We mu5t con5ider how to lodge her in 5afety."