"but come a little fooner, it would not "have been fo." Henry now inquired the particulars, which were recounted as intelligibly as twenty different voices could detail them. In one point they all agreed, that their lady feemed in the greatest distress.

"Ah, betrayed innocent!" exclaimed Henry. And is my lord's journey a "fecret too ?"

"A most profound one, fir," faid the butler.

"He went, you fay, in a hired chaife " and four, at fix o'clock yesterday "morning, the road toward the "Moors?"

"I do, fir," replied the groom. "Nay now, Sandy," faid one of the footman," that is little better than "a lie; I faid fo, and you told my

lady, when the feemed fo frightened "about him, that you faw the chaife

« turn

"turn by the lodges in the park, and "then stop, and go back again toward "Edinburgh."

"Did not you think fo too, Mr. "Thomas?" faid the groom, addressing the butler.

"Why, my eyes might deceive me, "but Mr. Pomade thought the fame.". "Who is Mr. Pomade ?"

"Mr. Fitzofborne's fervant." "Call him. He may poffibly throw "fome light on this inexplicable bufi" nefs."

"He went off to London at four "o'clock this morning," answered the groom.

"How?"—" On horfeback."

"Another lie," exclaimed the housekeeper. "O, there are fome wicked "doings, and it will all come out. "The very stones in the street will "fpeak when there has been a murder. M 6 "His

"His mafter has got no horfes, and you "told us that you could not catch any " of my lord's, if we would give you a "thoufand pounds.'

37.

"Do I," faid Powerscourt," fee "around me so many ftout healthy "men, fed by lord Monteith's bounty; " and would none of them walk

"to to order a chaife, that this "young woman might have followed. "her miftrefs?"

A general murmur announced that they would all have willingly walked to Johnny Groat's house to serve their lord or their lady, but the butler had undertaken that office.

"And why did he not perform. it "then?" faid Powerfcourt. "I ftopped "at that town myfelf two hours ago, " and I am confident, not only that "there are chaifes to. be procured,

<< but.

"but also that no meffenger from Mon"teith had been to order one."

The butler attempted an excufe; but the groom falling upon his knees, faid, he would confefs all. Mr. Fitzofborne had long defigned to run away with his lady when he had an opportu nity. His lordship received a note on the evening before her departure, after his lady was gone to bed, giving him an invitation to go to fhoot fome moorgame on the neighbouring mountains with fome gentlemen of his acquaintance; and propofing to fet off foon in the morning, he left a note for his lady, telling her where he was gone. He confeffed too, that he had told Mr. Fitzolborne this, and alfo that he was gone in a hired chaife on account of the bad roads, and without any attendants, for gentlemen did not like to have any more with them on the moun

tains than were abfolutely neceffary. That Fitzofborne then took the note from him, and bade him fay, if he was queftioned, that he went round by Farmer Thompson's, and then turned toward Edinburgh.

Influenced by a fudden ftart of indignation, Henry ordered both the groom and the butler into custody, without confidering that the blackeft crimes will sometimes evade the punishment of buman laws. He now paused a moment to confider how he should act, when the head nurse thus interrupted his musings:

Won't you see the pretty little dears, "fir? Alas-a-day! what is to become "of them? They have been asking for << their mamma all the morning. Lady "Bell and lady Lucy have fat and "learned the leffons fhe gave them "yesterday, like two angels; and they " fay