agreed that she should notify me as soon as she reached London.

I had seen George on several occasions after my return from Sundridge,
and although he said little about himself, I knew from others that he
was at least trying to quit his old way of life and to avoid his evil
friends. Soon after my return to court he went to France, and I did
not see him again for several months, although he came home, most
unfortunately, and spent a day or two in London at the time of Frances's
arrival, of which he knew nothing until after his return to France.

All that took place at Sundridge after I left there and the occurrences
on my cousin's journey to London, I learned from her and from Hamilton
afterwards, though I shall write them down now in the order of their
happening.

Early one morning Roger presented himself at my uncle's house with the
huge green coach drawn by two horses so fat that they could hardly
breathe, driven by an old servant, Noah Sullivan, who was so fat that at
times he could not breathe at all.

The season was fair for travelling, and barring a heavy rain, the road to
London would be good. But it had a bad reputation for highwaymen, and no
cautious man with anything to lose cared to risk a journey after dark,
especially near London, save with a guard. Roger was taking with him a
thousand pounds in gold; therefore it was desirable that he and his fair
passenger should reach the city before nightfall. To do this with the fat
horses, he must start early,--a fact of which Frances had received due
notice.

On the appointed morning she was ready when the coach drove up. Her box