houses and could see a little farther upon either hand they were aware of another torch drawing near from another direction hey said dick i smell treason meanwhile sir daniel had come to a full halt the were stuck into the band and the men lay down as if to await the arrival of the other party this drew near at a good rate it consisted of four men only � a pair of a with a link and a gentleman walking in their midst is it yon my lord cried sir daniel it is i indeed and if ever true knight gave proof i am that man replied the leader of the second troop for who would not rather face giants or than this cold my lord returned sir daniel beauty will be the more it not but shall we forth for the sooner ye have seen my the sooner shall we both get home but why keep ye her here good knight inquired the other an she be so young and so fair and so wealthy why do ye not bring her forth among her mates would soon make her a good marriage the house by the h and no need to your fingers and risk arrow by going abroad at such seasons in the dark told you my lord replied sir daniel the reason thereof me only neither do i purpose to explain it farther suffice it that if ye be weary of your old gossip daniel publish it abroad that y are to wed and i give you my word ye will be quit o� him right soon ye will find him with an arrow in hia ba k meantime the two gentlemen were walking briskly forward over the down the three going before them stooping against the wind and scattering clouds of smoke and of flame and the rear brought up by the six close upon the heels of these dick followed he had of course heard no word of this conversation but he had recognised in the second of the old lord himself a man of an in reputation whom even sir daniel affected in public to condemn presently they came close down upon the beach the air smelt salt the noise of the surf increased and here in a large walled garden there stood a house of two with stables and other offices the foremost torch bearer unlocked a door in the wall and after the whole party had passed into the garden again closed and locked it on the other side dick and his men were thus excluded from any farther following unless they should scale the wall and thus put their necks in a d o i it ur buck arrow they sat down in a of and waited the red glow of the moved up and down and to and � ro within the as if the link steadily the garden twenty minutes passed and then the whole party issued forth again upon the down and sir daniel and the baron after an elaborate salutation separated and turned homeward each with his own following of men and lights as soon as the sound of their steps had been swallowed by the wind dick got to his feet as briskly as he was able for he was stiff and aching with the cold ye will give me a back up he said they advanced all three to the wall stooped and dick getting upon his shoulders on to the cope now whispered dick follow me up here lie flat upon your face that ye may be the less seen and he ever ready to give me a hand if i fall on the other side and so saying he dropped into the garden it was all pitch dark there was no light in the house the wind whistled shrill among the poor shrubs and the surf beat upon the beach there no other sound cautiously dick footed it forth stumbling among bushes and groping with his hands and presently the crisp noise of gravel told him that be had struck upon an alley here he paused and taking his cross bow from where tub bt he kept it concealed his long he prepared it for action and went forward once more with greater resolution and assurance the path led him straight to the group o� build all seemed to be sorely the windows of the house were secured by crazy the stables were open and empty there was no hay in the hay no com in the corn box any one would have supposed the place to be deserted but dick had good reason to think otherwise he continued his inspection visiting the offices trying all the windows at length he came round to the sea side of the house and there sure enough there burned a pale light in one of the upper windows he stepped back a little way till he thought he could see the movement of a shadow on tho wall of the apartment then he remembered that in the stable his groping hand had rested for a moment on a ladder and he returned with all despatch to bring it the ladder was very short but yet by standing on the round he could bring his hands as high as the iron of the window and seizing these he raised his body by main force until his eyes commanded the interior of the room two persons were within the first he readily knew to be dame the second a tall and beautiful and grave young lady in a long embroidered dress � that be his old wood companion jack whom bo had thought to punish with a belt j the he dropped back again to the top round of the ladder in a kind of amazement he had never thought of hie sweetheart as of so superior a being and he was instantly taken with a 