It was just half-past nine by the town clocks when I rode out across the
old Border Bridge and turned up the first climb of the road that runs
alongside the railway in the direction of Tillmouth Park, which was, of
course, my first objective. A hot, close night it was--there had been
thunder hanging about all day, and folk had expected it to break at any
minute, but up to this it had not come, and the air was thick and
oppressive. I was running with sweat before I had ridden two miles along
the road, and my head ached with the heaviness of the air, that seemed to
press on me till I was like to be stifled. Under ordinary circumstances
nothing would have taken me out on such a night. But the circumstances
were not ordinary, for it was the first time I had ever had the chance of
earning ten pounds by doing what appeared to be a very simple errand; and
though I was well enough inclined to be neighbourly to Mr. Gilverthwaite,
it was certainly his money that was my chief inducement in going on his
business at a time when all decent folk should be in their beds. And for
this first part of my journey my thoughts ran on that money, and on what
Maisie and I would do with it when it was safely in my pocket. We had
already bought the beginnings of our furnishing, and had them stored in
an unused warehouse at the back of her father's premises; with Mr.
Gilverthwaite's bank-note, lying there snugly in waiting for me, we
should be able to make considerable additions to our stock, and the
wedding-day would come nearer.

But from these anticipations I presently began to think about the
undertaking on which I was now fairly engaged. When I came to consider
it, it seemed a queer affair. As I understood it, it amounted to
this:--Here was Mr. Gilverthwaite, a man that was a stranger in Berwick,
and who appeared to have plenty of money and no business, suddenly