They crossed the bridge and stopped before a pair of high folding doors.
They were the doors of the tavern. Wogan drew a breath of relief, pulled
the bobbin, and pushed the doors open. Clementina slipped through, and
in darkness she took a step forward and bruised herself against the
wheels of a carriage. Wogan closed the door and ran to her side.
"This way," said he, and held out his hand. He guided Clementina round
the carriage to a steep narrow stairway--it was more a ladder than a
stair--fixed against the inner wall. At the top of this stairway shone a
horizontal line of yellow light. Wogan led the Princess up the stairs.
The line of light shone out beneath a door. Wogan opened the door and
stood aside. Clementina passed into a small bare room lighted by a
single candle, where Mrs. Misset, Gaydon, and O'Toole waited for her
coming. Not a word was said; but their eyes spoke their admiration of
the woman, their knees expressed their homage to the Queen. There was a
fire blazing on the hearth, Mrs. Misset had a dry change of clothes
ready and warm. Wogan laid the Princess's bundle on a chair, and with
Gaydon and O'Toole went down the stairs.
"The horses?" he asked.
"I have ordered them," said Gaydon, "at the post-house. I will fetch
them;" and he hurried off upon his errand.
Wogan turned to O'Toole.
"And the bill?"
"I have paid it."
"There is no one awake in the house?"
"No one but the landlady."
"Good! Can you keep her engaged until we are ready?"
"To be sure I can. She shall never give a thought to any man of you but
myself."
O'Toole passed through a door at the bottom of the staircase into the
common-room of the inn. Wogan gently opened the big doors and dragged
the carriage out into the road. Gaydon with the horses galloped
silently up through the snow, and together the two men feverishly
harnessed them to the carriage. There were six for the carriage, and a
seventh for O'Toole to ride. The expedition which Wogan and Gaydon
showed was matched by the Princess. For while they were fastening the
last buckles, the door at the top of the stairs opened, and again that
night Clementina whispered,-"I am ready."
"Come!" replied Wogan. She wore a scarlet cloak upon her shoulders, and
muffling it about her head she ran down with Mrs. Misset. Wogan opened
the lower door of the inn and called for O'Toole. O'Toole came running
out before Wogan had ended his words, and sprang into his saddle. Gaydon
was already on the box with the reins gathered in his hand. Wogan had
the carriage door open before Clementina had reached the foot of the
stairs; it was shut upon her and her companion almost before they were
aware they were within it; the carriage started almost before the door
was shut. Yet when it did start, Wogan was beside Gaydon upon the box.
Their movements, indeed, occurred with so exact a rapidity, that though
the hostess at once followed O'Toole to bid her guests farewell, when
she reached the big doors she saw only the back of the carriage lurching
through the ruts of snow.