“This way,” said he, and held out his hand.  He guided Clementina round the carriage to a steep narrow stairway—­it was more a ladder than a stair—­fixed against the inner wall.  At the top of this stairway shone a horizontal line of yellow light.  Wogan led the Princess up the stairs.  The line of light shone out beneath a door.  Wogan opened the door and stood aside.  Clementina passed into a small bare room lighted by a single candle, where Mrs. Misset, Gaydon, and O’Toole waited for her coming.  Not a word was said; but their eyes spoke their admiration of the woman, their knees expressed their homage to the Queen.  There was a fire blazing on the hearth, Mrs. Misset had a dry change of clothes ready and warm.  Wogan laid the Princess’s bundle on a chair, and with Gaydon and O’Toole went down the stairs.

“The horses?” he asked.

“I have ordered them,” said Gaydon, “at the post-house.  I will fetch them;” and he hurried off upon his errand.

Wogan turned to O’Toole.

“And the bill?”

“I have paid it.”

“There is no one awake in the house?”

“No one but the landlady.”

“Good!  Can you keep her engaged until we are ready?”

“To be sure I can.  She shall never give a thought to any man of you but myself.”

O’Toole passed through a door at the bottom of the staircase into the common-room of the inn.  Wogan gently opened the big doors and dragged the carriage out into the road.  Gaydon with the horses galloped silently up through the snow, and together the two men feverishly harnessed them to the carriage.  There were six for the carriage, and a seventh for O’Toole to ride.  The expedition which Wogan and Gaydon showed was matched by the Princess.  For while they were fastening the last buckles, the door at the top of the stairs opened, and again that night Clementina whispered,—­

“I am ready.”

“Come!” replied Wogan.  She wore a scarlet cloak upon her shoulders, and muffling it about her head she ran down with Mrs. Misset.  Wogan opened the lower door of the inn and called for O’Toole.  O’Toole came running out before Wogan had ended his words, and sprang into his saddle.  Gaydon was already on the box with the reins gathered in his hand.  Wogan had the carriage door open before Clementina had reached the foot of the stairs; it was shut upon her and her companion almost before they were aware they were within it; the carriage started almost before the door was shut.  Yet when it did start, Wogan was beside Gaydon upon the box.  Their movements, indeed, occurred with so exact a rapidity, that though the hostess at once followed O’Toole to bid her guests farewell, when she reached the big doors she saw only the back of the carriage lurching through the ruts of snow.

“Quick!” cried Wogan; “we have lost too much time.”

“A bare twenty minutes,” said Gaydon.

“A good twelve hours,” said Wogan.