Upon learning where they had stopped, Buckingham hurriedly took
himself off, and Brandon waited for the girls to come out. It seemed a
very long time that they were in the wretched place, and darkness had
well descended upon London when they emerged.

Mary soon noticed that a man was following them, and as she did not
know who he was, became greatly alarmed. The object of her journey had
been accomplished now, so the spur of a strong motive to keep her
courage up was lacking.

"Jane, some one is following us," she whispered.

"Yes," answered Jane, with an unconcern that surprised Mary, for she
knew Jane was a coward from the top of her brown head to the tip of
her little pink heels.

"Oh, if I had only taken your advice, Jane, and had never come to this
wretched place; and to think, too, that I came here only to learn the
worst. Shall we ever get home alive, do you think?"

They hurried on, the man behind them taking less care to remain unseen
than he did when coming. Mary's fears grew upon her as she heard his
step and saw his form persistently following them, and she clutched
Jane by the arm.

"It is all over with us, I know. I would give everything I have or
ever expect to have on earth for--for Master Brandon at this moment."
She thought of him as the one person best able to defend her.

This was only too welcome an opportunity, and Jane said: "That is