Rosamund looked up and said quietly: 

“The key is lost.  We cannot open it.  What are you wanting in this house, gentlemen?”

She spoke in a soft voice, and the rough fellows answered with more gentleness.

“We are looking for one Thomas Tufton, your father’s lodger, for whose apprehension we hold a warrant.  He was seen to enter this house last night, and has not left it since.”

“He left it a short time ago, in the dusk,” answered Rosamund indifferently.  “But wherefore is he arrested?”

“We have sworn information that he was seen to be one of the men concerned in the recent robbery of the Queen’s gold.  We have testimony enough to hang him, if we can but lay hold upon him.  Did he say where he was going, mistress?”

“I think he spoke of Rotherhithe,” answered Rosamund, after a moment’s reflection; “but I paid no special heed.”

At this moment an impatient voice from the open door above cried out: 

“Why do you not bring him forth?  He must be there still!  What means the delay?  He can be an ugly customer, truly, but sure you have mastered him by this!”

In a few minutes more Rosamund saw the ugly, shifty face of Slippery Seal drawing near to them, and he was followed by another of the same crew, peering eagerly this way and that, as though they looked to see Tom pinioned in the midst of the group.

“Where is he?” they cried.

“Flown!” answered the others, with a touch of sullenness in their voices.  “You have led us a fine chase, truly; first to be made fools of by that dashing young spark, whom it is not good to meddle with, and then disturbing this honest citizen and his daughter!  Zounds! you drunken fellows, if you lead us this sort of dance we shall believe no word you say again.  I trow well that you were all of you more than half drunk upon the night you professed to see this thing done.  How are we to know you are to be trusted in swearing it was this young man at all?  Master Cale speaks well of him, and his word is worth twenty oaths from the likes of you.

“Goodnight, master; goodnight, mistress.  I am sorry we disturbed you on the testimony of these ill-living fellows.”

Rosamund’s heart beat high with joy and triumph.  She felt she could have kissed the burly officer of the law.  But her bright colour paled again as she heard the exclamation of Slippery Seal, prefaced by a string of horrid oaths.

“He has escaped!  These Cales are hiding him!  But he shall not escape us!  We will not lose the reward.  After him, I say, after him, all of us!  I know the tracks the fellow will make.  It will go hard if we get not up with him ere he has shaken the dust of London from his feet!”

CHAPTER XV.  AWAY TO THE FOREST.

Tom found no trouble in escaping from the house of the perruquier by the way suggested by Rosamund; and once in the dusky streets, he made good use of his long legs to carry him out of the vicinity of danger.