I was with him on
my way here, and found him quite tranquil. I suppose the
invasion of yesterday has opened his eyes a little."
"What can he do?" said Morley. "It is useless to apply to the
Government. They have no force to spare. Look at Lancashire;
a few dragoons and rifles hurried about from place to place
and harassed by night service; always arriving too late, and
generally attacking the wrong point, some diversion from the
main scheme. Now we had a week ago some of the 17th Lancers
here. They have been marched into Lancashire. Had they
remained the invasion would never have occurred."
"You haven't a soldier at hand?"
"Not a man; they have actually sent for a party of 73d from
Ireland to guard us. Mowbray may be burnt before they land."
"And the castle too," said Hatton quietly. "These are indeed
critical times Mr Morley. I was thinking when walking with
our friend Gerard yesterday, and hearing him and his charming
daughter dilate upon the beauties of the residence which they
had forfeited, I was thinking what a strange thing life is,
and that the fact of a box of papers belonging to him being in
the possession of another person who only lives close by, for
we were walking through Mowbray woods--"
But at this moment a waiter entered and said there was one
without who wished to speak with Mr Morley.
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