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One

A Lady in Distress

It had begun to rain an hour ago, a fine drivingbeside the chaise surveyed the clouds placidly ‘Faith, it’s a wonderful climate,’ he remarked of no one in particular

The grizzled serving man who rode some paces to the rear spurred up to hirunted ‘There’s an inn a mile or two on’

Theof the chaise was let doith a clatter, and a lady looked out ‘Child, you’ll be wet,’ she said to her cavalier ‘How far to Norman Cross?’

The serving man rode up close to the chaise ‘Another hour, ht’

‘I’d as soon uily damp’

‘There’s an inn close by, as I re himself to the lady

‘En avant, then Produce land, Peter my little man’

The gentle spot, Kate’

The inn cah the dusk There were lights in the s, and a post-chaise drawn up in the court before it

The gentleht, and carried hi boot, and a slender hand in an eauntlet

There was straightway a bustle at the inn An ostler ca; mine host appeared in the porch with a bow and a scrape and a waitingdown the steps of the chaise

‘Two bedchaentleman ‘Dinner, and a private room’

Consternation was in the landlord’s face ‘Bedchambers, sir Yes – on the instant! Polly, the two best bedchaoff ‘Sir, the private roo hands ‘But this entle north’ He looked slyly, and cast down his eyes ‘But they stay only for dinner, sir, and if your honour and the lady would condescend to the coffee-rooht, and ’twill be private enough’

There was a rustle of skirts My lady came down from the chaise with a hand on her servant’s shoulder ‘The coffee-rooet out of this wet!’ she cried, and swept into the inn with her cavalier behind her

They found thee roo in the hearth A door led out into a passage at the back, where the stairs rose steeply, and another to one side, giving on to the taproom

A triht more candles, and dropped a shy curtsey to the lady ‘If you please, my lady, should I take your ladyship’s cloak? Your ladyship’s abigail…?’

‘Alack, the creature’s not with me!’ mourned Madam Kate ‘Take the cloak up to my chamber, child So!’ She put back the hood fros round her throat The cloak was given to the own of blue spread over a wide hoop She wore her fair ringlets en demie toilette, free froh, and a couple of curls allowed to fall over her shoulder The iously lovely lady and bobbed another curtsey before she went aith the cloak

My lady’s brother gave his three-cornered hat into his servant’s keeping, and struggled out of his greatcoat He was ht, a little taller perhaps, and like enough to her in appearance His hair was of a darker brown, confined demurely at the neck by a black riband; and his eyes showedhe seemed, for his cheek was innocent of all but the faintest down; but he had a square shoulder, and a good chin, rounded, but purposeful enough The landlord, following hiies and obeisances, for he recognised a own, and Mr Merriot a , and a quantity of Mechlin lace at his throat and wrists A pretty pair, in all, with the easy ways of the Quality, and a humorous look about the eyes that an to talk of capons and his best burgundy, and was sent off to produce them

Miss Merriot sat down by the fire, and stretched one foot in its buckled shoe to the blaze There was a red heel to her shoe, and s ‘So!’ said Miss Merriot ‘How do you, my Peter?’

‘I don’t melt in a shower of rain, I believe,’ Peter said, and sat down on the edge of the table, swinging one booted leg

‘No, faith, child, there’s too much of you for that’