I did not know, however, till long afterwards that she had seen him, nor
did he suspect that she was in the coach.

When Hamilton and Churchill came up to the robbers, Hamilton asked:--

"What was the trouble?"

"The damned old fool in the coach shot at me," answered Crofts.

"How came he to do it?" asked Churchill, suspecting the truth.

"I do not know," returned Wentworth. "He must have taken us for
highwaymen, for he thrust his head out of the door and fired a pistol at
Crofts, who was nearest the coach."

"Yes," said Crofts. "And he was about to fire again, point blank at my
head, when I drew my sword and quieted him. Matters have come to a pretty
pass when gentlemen can't walk out on the public road without becoming a
target for every frightened fool that travels in a coach. I'll learn who
this fellow is, and will see that he becomes acquainted with the interior
of Newgate or dangles to a rope on Tyburn."

"Shall we declare the wager off?" asked Wentworth, turning to Churchill
and Hamilton.

"By all means," answered Churchill.

All being willing to return, they started back to London, Wentworth,
Berkeley, and Crofts falling behind. The story they had told was not
convincing, but when Hamilton expressed his doubts to Churchill and