voice. "Gently! gently! I will be answerable for her safe custody
till the morning."

The athletic fellow struggled desperately; but however powerful and
determined, he was only one man against a score, nearly all the
bystanders being tenants or laborers on the Compton estates; and spite of
his furious efforts, and menaces of law and vengeance, Clara was torn
from him in a twinkling, and himself hurled with some violence prostrate
on the road. "Do not let them hurt the man," said Lady Compton, as the
servants placed the insensible girl in the carriage (she had fainted);
"and tell him that if he has really any legal claim to the custody of
this unfortunate person, he must prefer it in the morning."

Immediately on arrival at the castle, the escaped prisoner was conveyed
to bed, and medical aid instantly summoned. When restored to
consciousness, whether from the effect of an excess of fever producing
temporary delirium, or from confirmed mental disease, her speech was
altogether wild and incoherent--the only at all consistent portions of
her ravings being piteously--iterated appeals to Lady Compton not to
surrender her to her aunt in-law, Mrs. Brandon, of whom she seemed to
entertain an overpowering, indefinable dread. It was evident she had been
subjected to extremely brutal treatment--such as, in these days of
improved legislation in such matters, and greatly advanced knowledge of
the origin and remedy of cerebral infirmity, would not be permitted
towards the meanest human being, much less a tenderly-nurtured, delicate
female. At length, under the influence of a composing draught, she sank
gradually to sleep; and Lady Compton having determined to rescue her, if
possible, from the suspicious custody of her relatives, and naturally
apprehensive of the legal difficulties which she could not doubt would
impede the execution of her generous, if somewhat Quixotic project,