At The Plague-Pit

"And if I refuse to answer?"

"Then I refuse to move a step further in the business!" said Sir Norman,
with decision.

"And why, my good friend? You surely can have no objection to anything
that can be done against highwaymen and cut-throats."

"Right! I have no objections, but others may."

"Whom do you mean by others?"

"The king, for instance. His gracious majesty is whimsical at times; and
who knows that he may take it into his royal head to involve us somehow
with them. I know the adage, 'put not your trust in princes.'"

"Very good," said the count, with a slight and irrepressible smile;
"your prudence is beyond all praise! But I think, in this matter I may
safely promise to stand between you and the king's wrath. Look at those
horsemen beyond you, and see if they do not wear the uniform of his
majesty's own body-guard."

Sir Norman looked, and saw the dazzling of their splendid equipments
glancing and glistening in the moonbeams.

"I see. Then you have the royal permission for all this?"

"You have said it. Now, most scrupulous of men, proceed!"

"Look there!" exclaimed Hubert, suddenly pointing to a corner of the
rain. "Someone has seen us, and is going now to give the alarm."

"He shall miss it, though!" said Sir Norman, detecting, at the same
instant, a dark figure getting through the broken doorway; and striking
spurs into his horse, he was instantaneously beside it, out of the
saddle, and had grasped the retreater by the shoulder.