With an unuttered emotion at the thought of meeting Miss Beaufort,
Thaddeus had just consented to accompany Somerset to the Castle,
after Sir Robert had been apprized of his coming, when the countess's
old and faithfully attached manservant entered, and respectfully
informed her guests that his lady, not willing to disturb their
conversation, had retired to her room for the night, but that beds
were prepared for them in the Abbey, and she hoped to meet both
friends at her breakfast table in the morning. The honest man then
added, "It was now past eleven o'clock; and after their honors had
partaken of their yet untasted refreshment, he would be ready to
attend them to their chambers."
Pembroke started up at this, and shaking his friend warm by the hand,
bade him, he said, "a short farewell;" and hastening down the hill,
arrived at the gate of the Wold Lodge just at the turn of midnight.
At an early hour the next morning he gave orders to his groom, wrote
a slight apology to Shafto for his abrupt departure, and, mounting
his fleet horse, galloped away full of delight towards Somerset
Castle.
CHAPTER XL.
SOMERSET CASTLE.
But Sobieski did not follow the attentive domestic of his maternal
friend to the prepared apartment in the Abbey. He asked to be
conducted back through the night shadowed grounds to the little hotel
he had seen early in the evening on his approach to the mansion.
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