"
"By whom, and wherefore, could this have been done?" pursued
Mareschal.--"Had you no knowledge of the place to which you were
conveyed?--Earnscliff, where did you find this lady?"
But ere either question could be answered, Ellieslaw advanced, and,
returning his sword to the scabbard, cut short the conference.
"When I know," he said, "exactly how much I owe to Mr. Earnscliff, he
may rely on suitable acknowledgments; meantime," taking the bridle of
Miss Vere's horse, "thus far I thank him for replacing my daughter in
the power of her natural guardian."
A sullen bend of the head was returned by Earnscliff with equal
haughtiness; and Ellieslaw, turning back with his daughter upon the road
to his own house, appeared engaged with her in a conference so
earnest, that the rest of the company judged it improper to intrude by
approaching them too nearly. In the meantime, Earnscliff, as he took
leave of the other gentlemen belonging to Ellieslaw's party, said aloud,
"Although I am unconscious of any circumstance in my conduct that can
authorize such a suspicion, I cannot but observe, that Mr.
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