Robbie was in ignorance of the physical proportions of these local worthies, but he was nevertheless in little doubt as to the identity of his man.  It was clear that Sim and Ralph had met on this spot only a few hours ago, and had gone off together.

“What o’clock might it be when they left?” said Robbie.

“Nigh to noon—­maybe eleven or so.”

It was now two, and Ralph and Sim, riding good horses, must be many miles away.  Robbie’s vexation was overpowering when he thought of the hours that he had wasted at Winander and of the old gossip at the street corner who had prompted him to the fruitless search.

“The feckless old ninny,” he thought in his mute indignation; “when an old man comes to be an old woman it’s nothing but right that he should die, and have himself done with.”

Robbie was unable to hire a horse in order to set off in pursuit of his friends; nor were his wits so far distraught by the difficulties tormenting them that he was unable to perceive that, even if he could afford to ride, his chance would be inconsiderable of overtaking two men who had already three hours’ start of him.

He went into the taproom to consult the driver of the Carlisle coach, who was taking a glass before going to bed—­his hours of work being in the night and his hours of rest being in the day.  That authority recommended, with the utmost positiveness of advice, that Robbie should take a seat in his coach when he left for the North that night.

“But you don’t start till nine o’clock, they tell me?” said Robbie.

“Well, man, what of that?” replied the driver; “yon two men will have to sleep to-night, I reckon; and they’ll put up to a sartenty somewhear, and that’s how we’ll come abreast on ’em.  It’s no use tearan like a crazy thing.”

The driver had no misgivings; his conjecture seemed reasonable, and whether his plan were feasible or not, it was the only one available.  So Robbie had to make a virtue of a necessity, as happens to many a man of more resource.

He was perhaps in his secret heart the better reconciled to a few hours’ delay in his present quarters, because he fancied that the little chambermaid had exhibited some sly symptoms of partiality for his society in the few passages of conversation which he had exchanged with her.

She was a bright, pert young thing, with just that dash of freedom in her manners which usually comes of the pursuit of her public calling; and it is only fair to Robbie’s modesty to say that he had not deceived himself very grossly in his estimate of the interest he had suddenly excited in her eyes.  It was probably a grievous dereliction of duty to think of a love encounter, however blameless, at a juncture like this—­not to speak of the gravity of the offence of forgetting the absent Liza.  But Robbie was undergoing a forced interlude in the march; the lady who dominated his affections was unhappily too far away to appease them, and he was not the sort of young fellow who could resist the assault of a pair of coquettish black eyes.