As she spoke, Madame Dalibard opened a box on her table, drew forth a
paper in Fielden's writing, and placed it in Ardworth's hand. After some
preliminary statement of the writer's intimacy with the elder Ardworth,
and the appearance of the latter at his house, as related by Madame
Dalibard, etc., the document went on thus:--

The next day, when my poor guest was still in bed, my servant Hannah came
to advise me that two persons were without, waiting to see me. As is my
wont, I bade them be shown in. On their entrance (two rough, farmer-
looking men they were, who I thought might be coming to hire my little
pasture field), I prayed them to speak low, as a sick gentleman was just
overhead. Whereupon, and without saying a word further, the two
strangers made a rush from the room, leaving me dumb with amazement; in a
few moments I heard voices and a scuffle above. I recovered myself, and
thinking robbers had entered my peaceful house, I called out lustily,
when Hannah came in, and we both, taking courage, went upstairs, and
found that poor Walter was in the hands of these supposed robbers, who
in truth were but bailiffs. They would not trust him out of their sight
for a moment. However, he took it more pleasantly than I could have
supposed possible; prayed me in a whisper to take care of the child, and
I should soon hear from him again. In less than an hour he was gone.
Two days afterwards I received from him a hurried letter, without
address, of which this is a copy:--

DEAR FRIEND,--I slipped from the bailiffs, and here I am in a safe little
tavern in sight of the sea! Mother Country is a very bad parent to me!
Mother Brownrigg herself could scarcely be worse. I shall work out my
passage to some foreign land, and if I can recover my health (sea-air is
bracing), I don't despair of getting my bread honestly, somehow. If ever