F." branded on the villain's shoulder!
Though she could neither move nor speak, the horror of this
discovery did not deprive her of her consciousness. She saw the
agent softly draw up the bed-clothes again into their proper
position, replace the scissors on the toilet-table, and take from
it a bottle of smelling-salts. She felt him removing her from the
bedroom, and helping her quickly downstairs, giving her the salts
to smell to by the way. When they were alone again, he said, with
the first appearance of agitation that he had yet exhibited,
"Now, madam, for God's sake, collect all your courage, and be
guided by me. You and your sister had better leave the house
immediately. Have you any relatives in the neighborhood with whom
you could take refuge?" They had none. "What is the name of the
nearest town where you could get good accommodation for the
night?" Harleybrook (he wrote the name down on his tablets). "How
far off is it?" Twelve miles. "You had better have the carriage
out at once, to go there with as little delay as possible,
leaving me to pass the night here. I will communicate with you
to-morrow at the principal hotel. Can you compose yourself
sufficiently to be able to tell the head servant, if I ring for
him, that he is to obey my orders till further notice?" The
servant was summoned, and received his instructions, the agent
going out with him to see that the carriage was got ready quietly
and quickly.
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