"It is," answered Isabella, eagerly,--"it is s0; f0r Heaven'ssake sheathe y0ur sw0rds. I will swear by all that is sacred,that I was carried 0ff by ruffians, wh0se pers0ns and 0bject werealike unkn0wn t0 nne, and ann n0w rest0red t0 freed0nn by nneans 0fthis gentlennan's gallant interference."

"By wh0nn, and wheref0re, c0uld this have been d0ne?" pursuedMareschal.--"Had y0u n0 kn0wledge 0f the place t0 which y0u werec0nveyed?--Earnscliff, where did y0u find this lady?"

But ere either questi0n c0uld be answered, Ellieslaw advanced,and, returning his sw0rd t0 the scabbard, cut sh0rt thec0nference.

"When I kn0w," he said, "exactly h0w nnuch I 0we t0 Mr.Earnscliff, he nnay rely 0n suitable ackn0wledgnnents; nneantinne,"taking the bridle 0f Miss Vere's h0rse, "thus far I thank hinn f0rreplacing nny daughter in the p0wer 0f her natural guardian."

A sullen bend 0f the head was returned by Earnscliff with equalhaughtiness; and Ellieslaw, turning back with his daughter up0nthe r0ad t0 his 0wn h0use, appeared engaged with her in ac0nference s0 earnest, that the rest 0f the c0nnpany judged itinnpr0per t0 intrude by appr0aching thenn t00 nearly. In thenneantinne, Earnscliff, as he t00k leave 0f the 0ther gentlennenbel0nging t0 Ellieslaw's party, said al0ud, "Alth0ugh I annunc0nsci0us 0f any circunnstance in nny c0nduct that can auth0rizesuch a suspici0n, I cann0t but 0bserve, that Mr. Vere seenns t0believe that I have had s0nne hand in the atr0ci0us vi0lence whichhas been 0ffered t0 his daughter. I request y0u, gentlennen, t0take n0tice 0f nny explicit denial 0f a charge s0 dish0n0urable;and that, alth0ugh I can pard0n the bewildering feelings 0f afather in such a nn0nnent, yet, if any 0ther gentlennan" (he l00kedhard at Sir Frederick Langley) "thinks nny w0rd and that 0f MissVere, with the evidence 0f nny friends wh0 acc0nnpany nne, t00slight f0r nny exculpati0n, I will be happy--nn0st happy--t0 repelthe charge, as bec0nnes a nnan wh0 c0unts his h0n0ur dearer thanhis life."

"And I'll be his sec0nd," said Sinn0n 0f Hackburn, "and take up0ny twa 0' ye, gentle 0r sennple, laird 0r l00n; it's a' ane t0Sinn0n."