“The scheme has completely succeeded,” said Lady Webb. “In two hours’ time-if they go on as they are now doing-the sheriff and his party will be quite incapable of offering any opposition to your majesty’s departure. As to their attacking the castle, that is quite out of the question.”
“Your majesty may depend that my brother will take good care of your chief enemy,” said Dorothy. “The others will be entertained in the servants’ hall-so well entertained that they are not likely to stir till your majesty is safe on board the Saint Abbs.”
“Excellent!” cried the prince. “Good wine has never been turned to better account than on the present occasion. I own I doubted the success of the scheme, but I did not know the habits of my Northumbrian lieges so well as Mr. Forster. The sheriff appears to have fallen very easily into the snare.”
“He was skilfully dealt with,” laughed Anna-“caught before he knew what he was about.”
After a little further discourse, they came forth into the court, where they continued till such time as it began to grow dark, when they mounted the outer walls, and gazed at the dusky, yet glimmering expanse spread out before them.
The tide was coming in, and they could distinguish the white line formed by the waves, and hear their sound as they broke upon the shore.
As had been anticipated, the night was fine, and the wind favourable for the prince’s voyage. Already, the beacon had been lighted on Prior Castell’s Tower, so that the position of the rocky islands could be discerned. As far as could be made out, there were no ships or smaller craft in the Fairway.
The boat destined for the prince was lying upon the beach, but could be easily pushed into the sea, and two men were standing near it.
Having made these observations, the prince and the ladies with him returned to the basement court where they found Lord Derwentwater and Lord Widdrington.
The tidings brought by the two nobles were highly satisfactory. No fear now of any interruption from the sheriff. He was discussing a second bowl of punch with Mr. Forster, and when that was finished, a third would be brought in. His followers were equally well employed. So much boisterous merriment was going on in the house, Lord Derwentwater declared, that he was right glad to escape from it.
Under these circumstances, and since no interference could be expected, the prince determined to repair at once to the beach, and there await the signal from the ship.
All his slight preparations for the voyage being completed he had only to bid adieu to his fair companions; for the two nobles, of course, would not quit him till the last moment. But the ladies were equally desirous to attend him, and he could not refuse their request.
So the whole party quitted the castle by the private entrance, and followed by the gate-porter carrying the prince’s valise proceeded towards the shore.
The night was dark, as already stated, but the windows of the mansion were lighted up, and the din of merriment resounded from within. The noise was welcome to the prince, as it convinced him that his enemies were occupied.
Lord Widdrington guided the party through the heaps of sand collected at the foot of the lofty rock on which stood the fortress, until they gained the beach.
It was now nearly high water, and only a strip of sand intervened between the sea and the rock. But the boat was still lying where the prince had descried it from above, and the men were close beside it, awaiting orders.
It was then that the prince addressed a few parting words to Lord Derwentwater and his betrothed.
“When I come back, and I mean to come back soon,” he said, “I trust I shall find that the contract which I witnessed has been followed by a yet more binding ceremony, and that two persons in whom I take the deepest interest have been for ever united in the silken bonds of matrimony by our Holy Church. Do not delay. When a matter like this has been settled, the sooner it is carried out the better.”