He was not yet courageous enough to pursue such a course, however.  He felt that his master’s eye was upon him, and he could not shake the evil influence off; but, although failing in this particular, he gave them a practical token of his sympathy by offering them such food as he possessed—­a small flagon of wine, purloined from Sir Henry’s store, together with a rough rye cake, which were gratefully accepted as a token of friendship, and before long were thankfully consumed.

He tendered them gracefully to the captives, and without waiting to be thanked he made his way to the rear, where, forming the men in order, he divided them into two companies, and sending the one on in front, the other half walked a little distance behind, leaving Dorothy and her lover free to converse as they chose.  In this order, without molestation or accident, they reached their destination as the grey light of the succeeding morning melted into the clearer light of riper day.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Dark suspicions.

  But oh, that hapless maiden?—­
  Where may she wander now, whither betake her,
  From the chill dew, amongst rude burrs and thistles? 
  Perhaps some cold bank is her bolster now. 
  Or, ’gainst the rugged bark of some broad elm
  Leans her unpillowed head, fraught with sad fears. 
  What, if in wild amazement and affright
  Or while we speak, within the direful grasp
  Of savage hunger.

  Milton.

The liberal offer which the King of the Peak made for the recovery of his daughter fired his followers with enthusiasm; for, although they had searched willingly enough before, both for the sake of love and duty, yet the tempting reward added to their zeal, and each one set out on his journey anew, feeling pretty confident that very soon he would be at least twenty nobles the richer.

As the shades of evening fell, and the twilight began to fade into darkness, the prospect of finding the maiden grew fainter and fainter, until at length the most hopeful gave up the search and returned disconsolately to Haddon, hoping that the maiden would be found at the Hall, and that with her return the chance of gaining the twenty nobles was irretrievably lost.  Sir George was the last to return, and the jaded condition of his horse told far more plainly than ever words could have done how far he had ridden.

He had hoped, amid fear and trembling, that his lost darling had been found.  He even half expected her to meet him upon his return; but all his anticipations were rudely dispelled.  Not a trace of her had been found, and crushed by the ill news, he retired to the solitude of his dressing room, with his riding accoutrements unremoved, and gazed for a time meditatively into the empty fireplace, in an agony of fear as to the fate which had befallen her.  So far, there was no clue to guide him; he could not even imagine or suspect any adequate reason for her absence; he could only ruminate sorrowfully on the fact that she was gone, and lament his inability to find her.