Presently a horse's feet were heard on the road before them; there was
a meeting and a halt, and Alick Keith's voice called out--"How has it
gone?"
"Why, were you not in court?"
"What! I go to hear my friends baited!"
"Where were you then?"
"At Avonmouth."
"Oh, then you have seen the boys," cried Lady Temple. "How is Conrade?"
"Quite himself. Up to a prodigious amount of indoor croquet. But how has
it gone?"
"Such a shame!" returned Lady Temple. "They acquitted the dreadful man,
and the poor woman, whom he drove to it, has a year's imprisonment and
hard labour!"
"Acquitted! What, is he off?"
"Oh, no, no! he is safe, and waiting for the Assizes, all owing to the
Colonel and little Rose."
"He is committed for the former offence," said Colonel Keith; "the
important one."
"That's right! Good night! And how," he added, reining back his horse,
"did your cousin get through it?"
"Oh, they were so hard on her!" cried Lady Temple. "I could hardly bring
myself to speak to Sir Edward after it! It was as if he thought it all
her fault!"
"Her evidence broke down completely," said Colonel Keith. "Sir Edward
spared her as much as he could; but the absurdity of her whole conduct
was palpable. I hope she has had a lesson."
Alick's impatient horse flew on with him, and Colin muttered to Alison
under his mufflers,--"I never could make out whether that is the coolest
or the most sensitive fellow living!"