"Good friend," said she to Wayland, "whom God hath sent to aid me at my

utmost need, I do beseech thee, as the last trouble you shall take

for an unfortunate lady, to deliver this letter to the noble Earl of

Leicester. Be it received as it may," she said, with features agitated

betwixt hope and fear, "thou, good fellow, shalt have no more cumber

with me. But I hope the best; and if ever lady made a poor man rich,

thou hast surely deserved it at my hand, should my happy days ever come

round again. Give it, I pray you, into Lord Leicester's own hand, and

mark how he looks on receiving it."

Wayland, on his part, readily undertook the commission, but anxiously

prayed the lady, in his turn, to partake of some refreshment; in which

he at length prevailed, more through importunity and her desire to see

him begone on his errand than from any inclination the Countess felt to

comply with his request. He then left her, advising her to lock her door

on the inside, and not to stir from her little apartment; and went to

seek an opportunity of discharging her errand, as well as of carrying

into effect a purpose of his own, which circumstances had induced him to

form.

In fact, from the conduct of the lady during the journey--her long fits

of profound silence, the irresolution and uncertainty which seemed to

pervade all her movements, and the obvious incapacity of thinking and

acting for herself under which she seemed to labour--Wayland had formed

the not improbable opinion that the difficulties of her situation had in

some degree affected her understanding.

When she had escaped from the seclusion of Cumnor Place, and the dangers

to which she was there exposed, it would have seemed her most rational

course to retire to her father's, or elsewhere at a distance from the

power of those by whom these dangers had been created. When, instead of

doing so, she demanded to be conveyed to Kenilworth, Wayland had been

only able to account for her conduct by supposing that she meant to

put herself under the tutelage of Tressilian, and to appeal to the

protection of the Queen. But now, instead of following this natural

course, she entrusted him with a letter to Leicester, the patron of

Varney, and within whose jurisdiction at least, if not under his express

authority, all the evils she had already suffered were inflicted upon

her. This seemed an unsafe and even a desperate measure, and Wayland

felt anxiety for his own safety, as well as that of the lady, should he

execute her commission before he had secured the advice and countenance

of a protector.




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