"Then come—no words. I have my carriage waiting; follow me quickly and say good-bye to this hovel."
"Hovel?" Lady Harriet looked about. Suddenly she had a feeling of regret. "Hovel?"
"Nay," Nancy interrupted. "To this peaceful house—good-bye." Nancy, too, had a regret. They had had a gleeful hour here, among frank and kindly folk, even if they had also been a bit frightened. Anything that had gone wrong with them had been their fault. Tristram placed a bench at the window that the ladies might climb over, and thus they got out, and immediately the sound of their carriage wheels was heard in the yard. Plunkett had waked up meantime and had come out to call the girls. It was time for their day's work to begin. Farmer folk are out of bed early.
"Ho, girls!—time to be up," he called, entering from his chamber. Then he saw the open window. He paused. "Do I hear carriage wheels—and the window open—and the bench—and the girls—gone! Ho there! Everybody!" he rushed out and furiously pulled the bell which hung from the pole outside. His farmhands come running. "Ho—those girls hired yesterday have gone. Get after them. Bring them back. I may drop dead the next instant, but I'll be bound they shan't treat us in this manner. After them! Back they shall come!" And in the midst of all this confusion in ran Lionel.
"What——"
"Thieves!—the girls have run off—a nice return for our affections!"
"After them!—don't lose a minute," Lionel then cried in his turn, and away rushed the farmhands.
"They are ours for one year, by law. Bring them back, or ye shall suffer for it. Be off!" And the men mounted horses and went after the runaways like the wind.
"Nice treatment!"
"Shameful!" Plunkett cried, dropping into a chair, nearly fainting with rage.