so you may judge of my delight. The only thing is, I wonder if I was wise to turn myself into a gatekeeper? I can't but see that it is bound to restrict my movements."
"I must say, I can't conceive what should have induced you to do anything so whimsical!" she said frankly.
"Oh, it wasn't whimsical!" he replied. "After I had seen you, I had to provide myself with an excuse for remaining at Crowford, and there it was, ready to my hand!"
She gave a gasp. "C-Captain Staple!"
"On the other hand," he went on, apparently deaf to this interruption, "I could scarcely hope to escape remark, were I to revert to my proper person, and that might put our fine gentlemen on their guard. No: setting the hare's head against the goose-giblets, things are best as they are—for the present."
"Yes," she agreed uncertainly, stealing a sidelong look at him.
He urged the cob to a trot again. "What I must first discover is the precise nature of Coate's business here. To tell you the truth, I can't think what the devil it can be! If this were Lincolnshire, or Sussex, I should be much inclined to suspect the pair of them of being engaged in some extensive smuggling, and of using your house as their headquarters; but this is Derbyshire, and sixty or seventy miles from the coast, I daresay, so that won't answer."
"And hiding kegs of brandy in the cellars?" she asked, laughing. "Or perhaps storing them in one of our limestone caverns——"
"A very good notion," he approved. "But my imagination boggles at the vision of a train of pack-ponies being led coolly to and fro, and exciting no more interest than if they were accommodation coaches!" They had come within sight of Crowford village, and he gave back the reins and the whip into her hands, saying: "And we shall excite less interest, perhaps, if you drive, and I sit with my arms folded, groom-fashion.''
In the event, this precaution was superfluous, since the only two persons to be seen on the village street were a short-sighted old dame, and Mr. Sopworthy, who was standing outside the Blue Boar, but seemed to recall something needing his attention, and had disappeared into the house by the time the gig drew abreast of it. Miss Stornaway was still wondering why he had not waited to exchange a greeting with her when she drew up before the toll-gate.
The Captain alighted; the merchandise was unloaded, and his debts faithfully discharged. Joseph Lydd reported that only strangers had passed the gate during his absence, and got up beside his mistress. The Captain went to hold open the gate, and Miss Stornaway drove slowly forward. Clear of the gate, she pulled up again, for he had released it, and stepped into the road, holding up his hand to her. Hesitating, she transferred the whip to her left hand, and put the right into his. His fingers closed over it strongly, and he held it so for a moment while her eyes searched his face, half in enquiry, half in shy doubt. There was a little smile in his. "I meant what I said to you," he told her.
Then he kissed her hand, and let it go, and with considerably heightened colour she drove on.
CHAPTER VI.
MR. LYDD, observing these proceedings out of the tail of his eye, preserved silence and a wooden countenance for perhaps two minutes.
Then, as the gig, rounding a bend, passed the entrance to a rough lane, leading up to the moors, he gave a discreet cough, and said: "Fine young fellow, our new gatekeeper, miss. I disremember when I've seen a chap with a better pair of shoulders on him. Quite the gentleman, too—even if he is Ned Brean's cousin."
"You know very well that he is not, Joseph," said Miss Stornaway calmly. "He is a Captain of Dragoon Guards—or he was, until he sold out."
"A Captain, is he?" said Joseph, interested. "Well, it don't surprise me, not a bit. He told me himself he was a military man, miss, and that didn't surprise me neither, him having the look of it. In fact, I suspicioned he might be an officer, on account of the way he's
"I must say, I can't conceive what should have induced you to do anything so whimsical!" she said frankly.
"Oh, it wasn't whimsical!" he replied. "After I had seen you, I had to provide myself with an excuse for remaining at Crowford, and there it was, ready to my hand!"
She gave a gasp. "C-Captain Staple!"
"On the other hand," he went on, apparently deaf to this interruption, "I could scarcely hope to escape remark, were I to revert to my proper person, and that might put our fine gentlemen on their guard. No: setting the hare's head against the goose-giblets, things are best as they are—for the present."
"Yes," she agreed uncertainly, stealing a sidelong look at him.
He urged the cob to a trot again. "What I must first discover is the precise nature of Coate's business here. To tell you the truth, I can't think what the devil it can be! If this were Lincolnshire, or Sussex, I should be much inclined to suspect the pair of them of being engaged in some extensive smuggling, and of using your house as their headquarters; but this is Derbyshire, and sixty or seventy miles from the coast, I daresay, so that won't answer."
"And hiding kegs of brandy in the cellars?" she asked, laughing. "Or perhaps storing them in one of our limestone caverns——"
"A very good notion," he approved. "But my imagination boggles at the vision of a train of pack-ponies being led coolly to and fro, and exciting no more interest than if they were accommodation coaches!" They had come within sight of Crowford village, and he gave back the reins and the whip into her hands, saying: "And we shall excite less interest, perhaps, if you drive, and I sit with my arms folded, groom-fashion.''
In the event, this precaution was superfluous, since the only two persons to be seen on the village street were a short-sighted old dame, and Mr. Sopworthy, who was standing outside the Blue Boar, but seemed to recall something needing his attention, and had disappeared into the house by the time the gig drew abreast of it. Miss Stornaway was still wondering why he had not waited to exchange a greeting with her when she drew up before the toll-gate.
The Captain alighted; the merchandise was unloaded, and his debts faithfully discharged. Joseph Lydd reported that only strangers had passed the gate during his absence, and got up beside his mistress. The Captain went to hold open the gate, and Miss Stornaway drove slowly forward. Clear of the gate, she pulled up again, for he had released it, and stepped into the road, holding up his hand to her. Hesitating, she transferred the whip to her left hand, and put the right into his. His fingers closed over it strongly, and he held it so for a moment while her eyes searched his face, half in enquiry, half in shy doubt. There was a little smile in his. "I meant what I said to you," he told her.
Then he kissed her hand, and let it go, and with considerably heightened colour she drove on.
CHAPTER VI.
MR. LYDD, observing these proceedings out of the tail of his eye, preserved silence and a wooden countenance for perhaps two minutes.
Then, as the gig, rounding a bend, passed the entrance to a rough lane, leading up to the moors, he gave a discreet cough, and said: "Fine young fellow, our new gatekeeper, miss. I disremember when I've seen a chap with a better pair of shoulders on him. Quite the gentleman, too—even if he is Ned Brean's cousin."
"You know very well that he is not, Joseph," said Miss Stornaway calmly. "He is a Captain of Dragoon Guards—or he was, until he sold out."
"A Captain, is he?" said Joseph, interested. "Well, it don't surprise me, not a bit. He told me himself he was a military man, miss, and that didn't surprise me neither, him having the look of it. In fact, I suspicioned he might be an officer, on account of the way he's
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