"It was no doubt discourteous," said Mr. Wilding "but we took you for some friend of the Lord-Lieutenant's."
"Are they after you?" quoth Vallancey, his face of a sudden very startled.
"Like enough," said Trenchard, "if they have found their horses yet."
"Forward, then," Vallancey urged them in excitement, and he picked up his reins again. "You shall hear my news as we ride."
"Not so," said Trenchard. "We have business here down yonder at the ford."
"Business? What business?"
They told him, and scarce had they got the words out than he cut in impatiently. "That's no matter now.
"Not yet, perhaps," said Mr. Wilding; "but it will be if that letter gets to Whitehall."
"Odso!" was the impatient retort, "there's other news travelling to Whitehall that will make small-beer of this--and belike it's well on its way there already."
"What news is that?" asked Trenchard. Vallancey told them. "The Duke has landed--he came ashore this morning at Lyme."
"The Duke?" quoth Mr. Wilding, whilst Trenchard merely stared. "What Duke?"
"What Duke! Lord, you weary me! What dukes be there? The Duke of Monmouth, man."
"Monmouth!" They uttered the name in a breath. "But is this really true?" asked Wilding. "Or is it but another rumour?"
"Remember the letter your friends intercepted," Trenchard bade him.
"I am not forgetting it," said Wilding.
"It's no rumour," Vallancey assured them. "I was at White Lackington three hours ago when the news came to George Speke, and I was riding to carry it to you, going by way of Taunton that I might drop word of it for our friends at the Red Lion."
Trenchard needed no further convincing; he looked accordingly dismayed. But Wilding found it still almost impossible--in spite of what already he had learnt--to credit this amazing news. It was hard to believe the Duke of Monmouth mad enough to spoil all by this sudden and unheralded precipitation.
"You heard the news at Whitp Lackington?" said he slowly. "Who carried it thither?"
"There were two messengers," answered Vallancey, with restrained impatience, "and they were Heywood Dare--who has been appointed paymaster to the Duke's forces--and Mr. Chamberlain."
Mr. Wilding was observed for once to change colour. He gripped Vallancey by the wrist. "You saw them?" he demanded, and his voice had a husky, unusual sound. "You saw them?"
"With these two eyes," answered Vallancey, "and I spoke with them."
It was true, then! There was no room for further doubt.
Wilding looked at Trenchard, who shrugged his shoulders and made a wry face. "I never thought but that we were working in the service of a hairbrain," said he contemptuously.