But on one neither food nor warmth seemed to have any effect. Mistress Anne did, indeed, in obedience to my lady's sharp words, raise her bowl to her lips. But she set it down quickly and sat looking in dull apathy at the glowing peat. What had come over her?
Master Bertie went out with the farmer to attend to the horses, and when he came back he had news.
"There is a lad here," he said in some excitement, "who has just seen three foreigners ride past on the road, along with two Germans on pack-horses; five in all. They must be three of the party who followed us yesterday."
I whistled. "Then Clarence got himself out," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Well! well!"
"I expect that is so," Master Bertie answered, the Duchess remaining silent. "The question arises again, what is to be done?" he continued. "We may follow them to Wesel, but the good man says the floods are deep between here and the town, and we shall have Clarence and his party before us all the way--shall perhaps run straight into their arms."
"But what else can we do?" I said. "It is impossible to go back."
We held a long conference, and by much questioning of our host learned that half a league away was a ferry-boat, which could carry as many as two horses over the river at a time. On the farther side we might hit a road leading to Santon, three leagues distant. Should we go to Santon after all? The farmer thought the roads on that side of the river might not be flooded. We should then be in touch once more with our Dutch friends and might profit by Master Lindstrom's advice, on which I for one was now inclined to set a higher value.
"The river is bank full. Are you sure the ferry-boat can cross?" I asked.
Our host was not certain. And thereupon an unexpected voice struck in.
"Oh, dear, do not let us run any more risks!" it said. It was Mistress Anne's. She was herself again, trembling, excited, bright-eyed; as different as possible from the Anne of a few minutes before. A great change had come over her. Perhaps the warmth had done it.
A third course was suggested, to stay quietly where we were. The farmhouse stood at some little distance from the road; and though it was rough--it was very rough, consisting only of two rooms, in one of which a cow was stalled--still it could furnish food and shelter. Why not stay there?