“I am doubted, Sir George, I see,” he said angrily.  “Lady Vernon is the only one who does me justice.  I will go.  Your deed shall be blazoned to the world.  Is this the boasted hospitality of the King of the Peak?—­then I disdain it.  I shall shake the dust off my feet and shall depart at once, and you will find out when too late that you drove away in such a scurvy fashion the truest friend you ever had,” and boiling over with well-simulated fury, De la Zouch leapt from his chair and passed through the doorway, chuckling to himself at the success of his little scheme to extricate himself.

He was liberated now from the awkwardness of his false position.  His day’s rest and the attention he had received had done wonders towards effecting his recovery, and ordering a horse to be saddled, a few minutes later he passed out of the precincts of the Hall, and hoping that he would never have occasion to return, he mustered up his strength and started out upon a midnight ride to Ashby.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The escape.

                                But in these cases
  We still have judgment that we but teach
  Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
  To plague th’ inventor; this evil-handed justice
  Commends th’ ingredients of our poisoned chalice
  To our own lips.

  SHAKESPEAKE.

When Eustace delivered his charges into the hands of the chamberlain at Ashby his task was ended, and he had no further responsibility in the matter.

The rest afforded him by the journey had the effect of refreshing John Manners to a considerable degree, and when he stood before Sir Henry’s deputy he felt well able to take care of himself and quite capable of resisting any unwarrantable liberties that they might attempt to take with him.

Simon Greenwood, the chamberlain of Ashby Castle, was a fit person to represent his lord.  Indeed, had Sir Henry searched throughout the length and breadth of the land, he would probably never have discovered a man more after his own heart, or a servant who would have so faithfully aided him in the many questionable transactions in which he was from time to time engaged.  He had grown up on the estate.  His father had served the former lord of the manor, and entering into his master’s service when quite a youth, Simon had flourished on the success of his numerous petty stratagems; he had supplanted those who had been above him, and now, as the right hand of his lord, he was ever eager to distinguish himself in Sir Henry’s eyes.

He glanced at the two prisoners with an air of haughty contempt which would have done credit to De la Zouch himself.

“So you are John Manners, eh?” he drawled out at length.

Manners looked at him disdainfully, but returned no answer.

“And you be Miss Dorothy, I suspect,” he went on with a most unprepossessing leer.