pretty lady,' she said, 'and in such a hurry to leave. I am sure she is
in love and running away to meet a young gentleman.'
At these words, Tom sighed heavily. Mrs Waters noticed. She
suspected she might have a rival, but she did not mind. Tom's
beauty charmed her eyes, but because she could not see his heart
she did not worry about it.
Nor did she bother to tell him about her own situation.
Though Tom was careful not to ask her questions which might
embarrass her, the reader will surely want to know. So, here are
the real facts.
This lady had lived for some years with Captain Waters,
pretending to be his wife and using his name. I am sorry to say
she was also very friendly with Mr Northerton. It was a
friendship that did her reputation no good.
When Northerton threw the bottle which hit Tom's head, he
thought it had killed him. He escaped punishment by running off
into the night, and it was to Mrs Waters that he ran.
Captain Waters was away at that time, so Mrs Waters agreed to
help Northerton to get away to a seaport where he could escape
abroad. She offered to walk with him to a place where he could
get a horse, and she said she would give him some of her money.
Northerton noticed that she had ninety pounds in her purse
and a diamond ring on her finger, and he made another plan.
When they reached a lonely wood, he suddenly took off his belt,
grabbed the poor woman and tried to kill her. It was at this
moment that our hero had arrived to rescue her.
•
It was now midnight, and everyone was in bed except Susan, the
kitchen maid, who was washing the kitchen floor. Suddenly, a
gentleman on horseback arrived, and rushed into the kitchen to
ask if there was a lady in the inn. The late hour and his wild
behaviour surprised Susan, but when the gentleman said he was