At the highest and narrowest point of the ledge, and occupying nearly the whole of its space, with an overhanging rock on one side of her, and a roaring torrent on the other, stood the tall woman, determined apparently, from her attitude and deportment, to oppose the squire’s further progress.  As Nicholas advanced, he became convinced that it was the same person he had seen near the cairn; but, when her features grew distinguishable, he found to his surprise that it was Nance Redferne.

“Halloa!  Nance,” he cried.  “What are you doing here, lass, eh?”

“Cum to warn ye, squoire,” she replied; “yo once did me a sarvice, an ey hanna forgetten it.  That’s why I watched ye fro’ the cairn cliffs, an motioned ye to ge back.  Boh ye didna onderstand my signs, or wouldna heed ’em, so ey be cum’d here to stay ye.  Yo’re i’ dawnger, ey tell ye.”

“In danger of what, my good woman?” demanded the squire uneasily.

“O’ bein’ robbed, and plundered o’ your gowd,” replied Nance; “there are five men waitin’ to set upon ye a mile further on, at the Bowder Stoans.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed Nicholas; “they will get little for their pains.  I have no money about me.”

“Dunna think to deceive me, squoire,” rejoined Nance; “ey knoa yo ha borrowed three hundert punds i’ gowd fro’ yung Ruchot Assheton; an os surely os ye ha it aw under your jerkin, so surely win yo lose it, if yo dunna turn back, or ge on without me keepin’ ye company.”

“I have no objection on earth to your company, Nance,” replied the squire; “quite the contrary.  But how the devil should these rascals expect me?  And, above all, how should they conjecture I should come so well provided?  For, sooth to say, such is not ordinarily the case with me.”

“Ey knoa it weel, squoire,” replied Nance, with a laugh; boh they ha received sartin information o’ your movements.”

“There is only one person who could give them such information,” cried Nicholas; “but I cannot, will not suspect him.”

“If yor’re thinkin’ o’ Lawrence Fogg, yo’re na far wide o’ th’ mark, squoire,” replied Nance.

“What!  Fogg leagued with robbers—­impossible!” exclaimed Nicholas.

“Neaw, it’s nah so unpossible os aw that,” returned Nance; “yo ’n stare when ey tell yo he has robbed yo mony a time without your being aware on it.  Yo were onwise enough to send him round to your friends to borrow money for yo.”

“True, so I was.  But, luckily, no one would lend me any,” said Nicholas.

“There yo’re wrong, squoire—­fo’ unluckily they aw did,” replied Nance, with a scarcely-suppressed laugh.  “Roger Nowell gied him one hundred; Tummus Whitaker of Holme, another; Ruchot Parker o’ Browsholme, another.  An more i’ th’ same way.”

“And the rascal pocketed it all, and never brought me back one farthing,” cried Nicholas, in a transport of rage.  “I’ll have him hanged—­pshaw! hanging’s too good for him.  To deceive me, his friend, his benefactor, his patron, in such a manner; to dwell in my house, eat at my table, drink my wine, wear my habiliments, ride my horses, hunt with my hounds!  Has the dog no conscience?”