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’Who？’saidStockdale。
’Latimer，theriding-officer，andsomeassistantofhis。Wehadbettergoindoors。’
Theyenteredthehouse，andLizzyboltedthedoor。’Pleasedon’tgetalight，Mr。Stockdale，’shesaid。
’OfcourseIwillnot，’saidhe。
’Ithoughtyoumightbeonthesideoftheking，’saidLizzy，withfaintestsarcasm。
’Iam，’saidStockdale。’But，LizzyNewberry，Iloveyou，andyouknowitperfectlywell；andyououghttoknow，ifyoudonot，whatI
havesufferedinmyconscienceonyouraccounttheselastfewdays！’
’Iguessverywell，’shesaidhurriedly。’YetIdon’tseewhy。Ah，youarebetterthanI！’
Thetrottingofthehorsesseemedtohaveagaindiedaway，andthepairoflistenerstouchedeachother’sfingersinthecold’Good-
night’ofthosewhomsomethingseriouslydivided。Theywereonthelanding，butbeforetheyhadtakenthreestepsapart，thetrampofthehorsemensuddenlyrevived，almostclosetothehouse。Lizzyturnedtothestaircasewindow，openedthecasementaboutaninch，andputherfaceclosetotheaperture。’Yes，oneof’emisLatimer，’shewhispered。’Healwaysridesawhitehorse。Onewouldthinkitwasthelastcolourforamaninthatline。’
Stockdalelooked，andsawthewhiteshapeoftheanimalasitpassedby；butbeforetheridershadgoneanothertenyards，Latimerreinedinhishorse，andsaidsomethingtohiscompanionwhichneitherStockdalenorLizzycouldhear。Itsdriftwas，however，soonmadeevident，fortheothermanstoppedalso；andsharplyturningthehorses’headstheycautiouslyretracedtheirsteps。WhentheywereagainoppositeMrs。Newberry’sgarden，Latimerdismounted，andthemanonthedarkhorsedidthesame。
LizzyandStockdale，intentlylisteningandobservingtheproceedings，naturallyputtheirheadsascloseaspossibletotheslitformedbytheslightlyopenedcasement；andthusitoccurredthatatlasttheircheekscamepositivelyintocontact。Theywentonlistening，asiftheydidnotknowofthesingularincidentwhichhadhappenedtotheirfaces，andthepressureofeachtoeachratherincreasedthanlessenedwiththelapseoftime。
Theycouldheartheexcisemensniffingtheairlikehoundsastheypacedslowlyalong。Whentheyreachedthespotwherethetubhadburst，bothstoppedontheinstant。
’Ay，ay，’tisquitestronghere，’saidthesecondofficer。’Shallweknockatthedoor？’
’Well，no，’saidLatimer。’Maybethisisonlyatricktoputusoffthescent。Theywouldn’tkickupthisstinkanywhereneartheirhiding-place。Ihaveknownsuchthingsbefore。’
’Anyhow，thethings，orsomeof’em，musthavebeenbroughtthisway，’saidtheother。
’Yes，’saidLatimermusingly。’Unless’tisalldonetotoleusthewrongway。Ihaveamindthatwegohomeforto-nightwithoutsayingaword，andcomethefirstthinginthemorningwithmorehands。Iknowtheyhavestoragesabouthere，butwecandonothingbythisowl’slight。Wewilllookroundtheparishandseeifeverybodyisinbed，John；andifallisquiet，wewilldoasI
say。’
Theywenton，andthetwoinsidethewindowcouldhearthempassingleisurelythroughthewholevillage，thestreetofwh
