"Ay!" returned his friend, dropping his hand, and looking atGashford for an instant with a changed expression before he spoketo him. "Good day, master!"
"And good day to you," replied the secretary, nursing his leg.
"And many good days--whole years of them, I hope. You are heated."
"So would you have been, master," said Hugh, wiping his face, "ifyou"d been running here as fast as I have."
"You know the news, then? Yes, I supposed you would have heard it."
"News! what news?"
"You don"t?" cried Gashford, raising his eyebrows with anexclamation of surprise. "Dear me! Come; then I AM the first tomake you acquainted with your distinguished position, after all.
Do you see the King"s Arms a-top?" he smilingly asked, as he took alarge paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it out forHugh"s inspection.
"Well!" said Hugh. "What"s that to me?"
"Much. A great deal," replied the secretary. "Read it."
"I told you, the first time I saw you, that I couldn"t read," saidHugh, impatiently. "What in the Devil"s name"s inside of it?"
"It is a proclamation from the King in Council," said Gashford,"dated to-day, and offering a reward of five hundred pounds--fivehundred pounds is a great deal of money, and a large temptation tosome people--to any one who will discover the person or personsmost active in demolishing those chapels on Saturday night."
"Is that all?" cried Hugh, with an indifferent air. "I knew ofthat."
"Truly I might have known you did," said Gashford, smiling, andfolding up the document again. "Your friend, I might have guessed-indeedI did guess--was sure to tell you."
"My friend!" stammered Hugh, with an unsuccessful effort to appearsurprised. "What friend?"
"Tut tut--do you suppose I don"t know where you have been?"
retorted Gashford, rubbing his hands, and beating the back of oneon the palm of the other, and looking at him with a cunning eye.
"How dull you think me! Shall I say his name?"
"No," said Hugh, with a hasty glance towards Dennis.
"You have also heard from him, no doubt," resumed the secretary,after a moment"s pause, "that the rioters who have been taken (poorfellows) are committed for trial, and that some very activewitnesses have had the temerity to appear against them. Amongothers--" and here he clenched his teeth, as if he would suppressby force some violent words that rose upon his tongue; and spokevery slowly. "Among others, a gentleman who saw the work going onin Warwick Street; a Catholic gentleman; one Haredale."
Hugh would have prevented his uttering the word, but it was outalready. Hearing the name, Barnaby turned swiftly round.
"Duty, duty, bold Barnaby!" cried Hugh, assuming his wildest andmost rapid manner, and thrusting into his hand his staff and flagwhich leant against the wall. "Mount guard without loss of time,for we are off upon our expedition. Up, Dennis, and get ready!
Take care that no one turns the straw upon my bed, brave Barnaby;we know what"s underneath it--eh? Now, master, quick! What youhave to say, say speedily, for the little captain and a cluster of"em are in the fields, and only waiting for us. Sharp"s the word,and strike"s the action. Quick!"
Barnaby was not proof against this bustle and despatch. The lookof mingled astonishtnent and anger which had appeared in his facewhen he turned towards them, faded from it as the words passed fromhis memory, like breath from a polished mirror; and grasping theweapon which Hugh forced upon him, he proudly took his station atthe door, beyond their hearing.
"You might have spoiled our plans, master," said Hugh. "YOU, too,of all men!"
"Who would have supposed that HE would be so quick?" urgedGashford.
"He"s as quick sometimes--I don"t mean with his hands, for that youknow, but with his head--as you or any man," said Hugh. "Dennis,it"s time we were going; they"re waiting for us; I came to tellyou. Reach me my stick and belt. Here! Lend a hand, master.
Fling this over my shoulder, and buckle it behind, will you?"
"Brisk as ever!" said the secretary, adjusting it for him as hedesired.
"A man need be brisk to-day; there"s brisk work a-foot."
"There is, is there?" said Gashford. He said it with such aprovoking assumption of ignorance, that Hugh, looking over hisshoulder and angrily down upon him, replied:
"Is there! You know there is! Who knows better than you, master,that the first great step to be taken is to make examples of thesewitnesses, and frighten all men from appearing against us or any ofour body, any more?"
"There"s one we know of," returned Gashford, with an expressivesmile, "who is at least as well informed upon that subject as youor I."
"If we mean the same gentleman, as I suppose we do," Hugh rejoinedsoftly, "I tell you this--he"s as good and quick information abouteverything as--" here he paused and looked round, as if to makesure that the person in question was not within hearing, "as OldNick himself. Have you done that, master? How slow you are!"
"It"s quite fast now," said Gashford, rising. "I say--you didn"tfind that your friend disapproved of to-day"s little expedition?
Ha ha ha! It is fortunate it jumps so well with the witnesspolicy; for, once planned, it must have been carried out. And nowyou are going, eh?"
"Now we are going, master!" Hugh replied. "Any parting words?"
"Oh dear, no," said Gashford sweetly. "None!"
"You"re sure?" cried Hugh, nudging the grinning Dennis.
"Quite sure, eh, Muster Gashford?" chuckled the hangman.
Gashford paused a moment, struggling with his caution and hismalice; then putting himself between the two men, and laying a handupon the arm of each, said, in a cramped whisper: