"Pooh! nonsense," replied Everard Morrison; "any man may be deceived. But who is this lady, for she must have stayed behind?"
"Lady!" exclaimed the governor. "She's no lady; some common woman, who speaks as broad as a wagon-wheel. But she won't tell who she is; and when I told her that she would be kept in there all her life till she did, all she said was, she would take a day to consider of it; so I thought the best way would be to come on here at once."
"And pray, what do you want here?" demanded Everard Morrison coolly, as if the governor's coming there was the most extraordinary thing in the world.
"Why, I thought I should find him here most likely," replied the governor. "It was natural that he should come here, rather than go up to the park, where he was sure to be laid hold of."
"More natural that he should go up to London, than do either," replied Morrison. "I'm sure if I had helped him out, I should have advised him to come here by no means"--which happened to be really the case, as Everard had strongly counselled him not to come to the manor at all--"However, governor," he continued, "I can assure you that he is not here, for I have been here a long time, upon business with Mrs. Effingham, as you see, and I must have known it if he were. Mrs. Effingham and her daughter have both been with me, till within these ten minutes, and I pledge you my word of honour, that Sir Charles Tyrrell is not here, so you had better not disturb the ladies, for you can trust to my word you know very well."
"Why I think I can, Mr. Morrison," replied the governor; "but then what had I better do, do you think?"
"Why, that's hardly a fair question, governor," replied Morrison. "We lawyers, you know, are never fond of advising a man to break out, for we of course lose everything by such means; but now that he has got out, of course I wish him safe through it; and then, on the other hand, I should not like to give you wrong advice, so I shall give you none. Only one thing you may be sure of, you won't find him up at the park, for he is a great deal too clearheaded to linger about places, where everybody knows him, and where the first cottager might take hold of him, and get the reward which is likely to be offered."
There was so much reason in what the young lawyer said, that the governor was greatly influenced by it. He resolved, however, to send up a constable to the park, to make some sort of search, in order that it might not be said, he had neglected any effort to recover the prisoner. With the same view, also, he asked,
"Where does that glass-door lead, Mr. Morrison, do you know?"
"Why, I fancy to the conservatory," replied Morrison.