It was a simple little scheme, yet one which promised success if
carefully carried out. Nicholas Trevlyn was accustomed to take
night by night a posset of mead, brewed in some particular way by
Martha. She was, upon the night planned as the one for the escape
of Petronella, to add to this posset some drops of a concoction
prepared by herself from herbs, which would infallibly produce
sound and deep sleep within two hours. The master of the house
asleep, all would be simple. The two women would sally forth by the
postern door, and make for the forest. With the first light of the
dawn, Martha would seek the shelter of Trevlyn Chase, whilst
Petronella sought her brother in the pixies' dell. Nicholas Trevlyn
would awake the next morning to find himself alone in the old Gate
House that he had made intolerable for any other inmate.



Chapter 16: The Pixies' Dell.


After leaving Petronella close to her home, and watching the slight
figure vanish within the postern door, Cuthbert turned his own
steps towards the Chase, resolved to see Philip and tell him what
had passed between him and his sister before returning to the
forest dell where he had resolved to keep his watch.

He would not make any disturbance at the house at this dead hour of
the night; but as he was familiar with the place, he quickly found
his way to a small pavilion in the garden, the door of which was
not locked at night, and stretching himself upon a wooden settle