’Because I cannot rest indoors.  Something is happening, and I must know what.  Now, come!’ And they went into the dusk together.

When they reached the turnpike-road she turned to the right, and he soon perceived that they were following the direction of the excisemen and their load.  He had given her his arm, and every now and then she suddenly pulled it back, to signify that he was to halt a moment and listen.  They had walked rather quickly along the first quarter of a mile, and on the second or third time of standing still she said, ’I hear them ahead—­don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ he said; ‘I hear the wheels.  But what of that?’

‘I only want to know if they get clear away from the neighbourhood.’

‘Ah,’ said he, a light breaking upon him.  ’Something desperate is to be attempted!—­and now I remember there was not a man about the village when we left.’

‘Hark!’ she murmured.  The noise of the cartwheels had stopped, and given place to another sort of sound.

‘’Tis a scuffle!’ said Stockdale.  ’There’ll be murder!  Lizzy, let go my arm; I am going on.  On my conscience, I must not stay here and do nothing!’

‘There’ll be no murder, and not even a broken head,’ she said.  ’Our men are thirty to four of them:  no harm will be done at all.’

‘Then there is an attack!’ exclaimed Stockdale; ’and you knew it was to be.  Why should you side with men who break the laws like this?’

’Why should you side with men who take from country traders what they have honestly bought wi’ their own money in France?’ said she firmly.

‘They are not honestly bought,’ said he.

‘They are,’ she contradicted.  ’I and Owlett and the others paid thirty shillings for every one of the tubs before they were put on board at Cherbourg, and if a king who is nothing to us sends his people to steal our property, we have a right to steal it back again.’

Stockdale did not stop to argue the matter, but went quickly in the direction of the noise, Lizzy keeping at his side.  ’Don’t you interfere, will you, dear Richard?’ she said anxiously, as they drew near.  ’Don’t let us go any closer:  ’tis at Warm’ell Cross where they are seizing ’em.  You can do no good, and you may meet with a hard blow!’

‘Let us see first what is going on,’ he said.  But before they had got much further the noise of the cartwheels began again; and Stockdale soon found that they were coming towards him.  In another minute the three carts came up, and Stockdale and Lizzy stood in the ditch to let them pass.

Instead of being conducted by four men, as had happened when they went out of the village, the horses and carts were now accompanied by a body of from twenty to thirty, all of whom, as Stockdale perceived to his astonishment, had blackened faces.  Among them walked six or eight huge female figures, whom, from their wide strides, Stockdale guessed to be men in disguise.  As soon as the party discerned Lizzy and her companion four or five fell back, and when the carts had passed, came close to the pair.