“To Stratford?” asked Master Carew, staring with an expression of most innocent surprise, as he set his ale-can down and turned around.  “Why, thou art not going to Stratford.”

“Not going to Stratford!” gasped Nick, catching at the table with a sinking heart.  “Why, sir, ye promised that I should to-day.”

“Nay, now, that I did not, Nicholas.  I promised thee that thou shouldst go back to-morrow—­were not those my very words!”

“Ay, that they were,” cried Nick; “and why will ye na leave me go?”

“Why, this is not to-morrow, Nick.  Why, see, I cannot leave thee go to-day.  Thou knowest that I said to-morrow; and this is not to-morrow—­on thine honour, is it now?”

“How can I tell?” cried Nick, despairingly.  “Yesterday ye said it would be, and now ye say that it is na.  Ye’ve twisted it all up so that a body can na tell at all.  But there is a falsehood—­a wicked, black falsehood—­somewhere betwixt you and me, sir; and ye know that I have na lied to you, Master Carew!”

Through the tap-room door he saw the open street and the hills beyond the town.  Catching his breath, he sprang across the sill, and ran for the free fields at the top of his speed.

CHAPTER XIV

AT BAY

“After him!—­stop him!—­catch the rogue!” cried Carew, running out on the cobbles with his ale-can in his hand.  “A shilling to the man that brings him back unharmed!  No blows, nor clubs, nor stabbing, hark ’e, but catch me the knave straightway; he hath snatched a fortune from my hands!”

At that the hostler, whip in hand, and the tapster with his bit, were off as fast as their legs could carry them, bawling “Stop, thief, stop!” at the top of their lungs; and at their backs every idle varlet about the inn—­grooms, stable-boys, and hangers-on—­ran whooping, howling, and hallooing like wild huntsmen.

Nick’s frightened heart was in his mouth, and his breath came quick and sharp.  Tap-a-tap, tap-a-tap went his feet on the cobblestones as down the long street he flew, running as he had never run before.

It seemed as if the whole town bellowed at his back; for windows creaked above his head, and doors banged wildly after him; curs from every alley-way came yelping at his heels; apprentices let go the shutter-bars, and joined in the chase; and near and nearer came the cry of “Stop, thief, stop!” and the kloppety-klop of hob-nailed shoes in wild pursuit.

The rabble filled the dark old street from wall to wall, as if a cloud of good-for-naughts had burst above the town; and far in front sped one small, curly-headed lad, running like a frightened fawn.  He had lost his cap, and his breath came short, half sobbing in his throat as the sound of footfalls gained upon his ear; but even yet he might have beaten them all and reached the open fields but for the dirt and garbage in the street.  Three times he slipped upon a rancid bacon-rind and almost fell; and the third time, as he plunged across the oozing drain, a dog dashed right between his feet.