The hour was nearly up when Mr.Bastow came out; he looked ten years older than he had done on the previous day.

He wrung his friend's hand.
"Thank God I have been up there," he said.

"I do not think they will find anything." "Say nothing about it, Bastow; I don't want to know whether you found anything.

Now I am going to fetch two or three of the men from the village, to get them to aid the constable in keeping guard, and another to go up to the house at once and order a groom to saddle one of my horses and bring it here." As it was now past five o'clock, and the Squire found most of the men getting up, he sent one off to the house with the message, and returned with two others to the Rectory.

He told them briefly that two highwaymen had been arrested during the night, and that as young Mr.Bastow was in their company at the time, it had been necessary as a matter of form to arrest him also.