By this time Mr Willet, who had never beard so many words spokentogether at one time, or delivered with such volubility andemphasis as by the long-winded gentleman; and whose brain, beingwholly unable to sustain or compass them, had quite given itself upfor lost; recovered so far as to observe that there was ampleaccommodation at the Maypole for all the party: good beds; neatwines; excellent entertainment for man and beast; private rooms forlarge and small parties; dinners dressed upon the shortest notice;choice stabling, and a lock-up coach-house; and, in short, to runover such recommendatory scraps of language as were painted up onvarious portions of the building, and which in the course of someforty years he had learnt to repeat with tolerable correctness. Hewas considering whether it was at all possible to insert any novelsentences to the same purpose, when the gentleman who had spokenfirst, turning to him of the long wind, exclaimed, "What say you,Gashford? Shall we tarry at this house he speaks of, or pressforward? You shall decide."
"I would submit, my lord, then," returned the person he appealedto, in a silky tone, "that your health and spirits--so important,under Providence, to our great cause, our pure and truthful cause"-herehis lordship pulled off his hat again, though it was raininghard--"require refreshment and repose."
"Go on before, landlord, and show the way," said Lord GeorgeGordon; "we will follow at a footpace."
"If you"ll give me leave, my lord," said John Grueby, in a lowvoice, "I"ll change my proper place, and ride before you. Thelooks of the landlord"s friend are not over honest, and it may beas well to be cautious with him."
"John Grueby is quite right," interposed Mr Gashford, falling backhastily. "My lord, a life so precious as yours must not be put inperil. Go forward, John, by all means. If you have any reason tosuspect the fellow, blow his brains out."
John made no answer, but looking straight before him, as his customseemed to be when the secretary spoke, bade Hugh push on, andfollowed close behind him. Then came his lordship, with Mr Willetat his bridle rein; and, last of all, his lordship"s secretary--forthat, it seemed, was Gashford"s office.
Hugh strode briskly on, often looking back at the servant, whosehorse was close upon his heels, and glancing with a leer at hisbolster case of pistols, by which he seemed to set great store. Hewas a square-built, strong-made, bull-necked fellow, of the trueEnglish breed; and as Hugh measured him with his eye, he measuredHugh, regarding him meanwhile with a look of bluff disdain. He wasmuch older than the Maypole man, being to all appearance five-andforty;but was one of those self-possessed, hard-headed,imperturbable fellows, who, if they are ever beaten at fisticuffs,or other kind of warfare, never know it, and go on coolly till theywin.
"If I led you wrong now," said Hugh, tauntingly, "you"d--ha ha ha!-you"dshoot me through the head, I suppose."
John Grueby took no more notice of this remark than if he had beendeaf and Hugh dumb; but kept riding on quite comfortably, with hiseyes fixed on the horizon.
"Did you ever try a fall with a man when you were young, master?"
said Hugh. "Can you make any play at single-stick?"
John Grueby looked at him sideways with the same contented air, butdeigned not a word in answer.
"--Like this?" said Hugh, giving his cudgel one of those skilfulflourishes, in which the rustic of that time delighted. "Whoop!"
"--Or that," returned John Grueby, beating down his guard with hiswhip, and striking him on the head with its butt end. "Yes, Iplayed a little once. You wear your hair too long; I should havecracked your crown if it had been a little shorter."
It was a pretty smart, loud-sounding rap, as it was, and evidentlyastonished Hugh; who, for the moment, seemed disposed to drag hisnew acquaintance from his saddle. But his face betokening neithermalice, triumph, rage, nor any lingering idea that he had given himoffence; his eyes gazing steadily in the old direction, and hismanner being as careless and composed as if he had merely brushedaway a fly; Hugh was so puzzled, and so disposed to look upon himas a customer of almost supernatural toughness, that he merelylaughed, and cried "Well done!" then, sheering off a little, ledthe way in silence.
Before the lapse of many minutes the party halted at the Maypoledoor. Lord George and his secretary quickly dismounting, gavetheir horses to their servant, who, under the guidance of Hugh,repaired to the stables. Right glad to escape from the inclemencyof the night, they followed Mr Willet into the common room, andstood warming themselves and drying their clothes before thecheerful fire, while he busied himself with such orders andpreparations as his guest"s high quality required.
As he bustled in and out of the room, intent on thesearrangements, he had an opportunity of observing the twotravellers, of whom, as yet, he knew nothing but the voice. Thelord, the great personage who did the Maypole so much honour, wasabout the middle height, of a slender make, and sallow complexion,with an aquiline nose, and long hair of a reddish brown, combedperfectly straight and smooth about his ears, and slightlypowdered, but without the faintest vestige of a curl. He wasattired, under his greatcoat, in a full suit of black, quite freefrom any ornament, and of the most precise and sober cut. Thegravity of his dress, together with a certain lankness of cheekand stiffness of deportment, added nearly ten years to his age,but his figure was that of one not yet past thirty. As he stoodmusing in the red glow of the fire, it was striking to observe hisvery bright large eye, which betrayed a restlessness of thought andpurpose, singularly at variance with the studied composure andsobriety of his mien, and with his quaint and sad apparel. It hadnothing harsh or cruel in its expression; neither had his face,which was thin and mild, and wore an air of melancholy; but it wassuggestive of an indefinable uneasiness; which infected those wholooked upon him, and filled them with a kind of pity for the man:
though why it did so, they would have had some trouble to explain.