Now what's to prevent you being beforehand with the spark? The
park's lonely enough for our purpose and you have but to have your coach
ready and a man or two. A gag whipped over her mouth and we'll have her
inside the coach within a second and not a soul be the wiser."
"Sounds mighty well, faith. But will she come? What of her mother? Will
the woman trust her out of sight?"
"I'll back a wench against her dam for a thousand guineas if she's set
her heart on a man. Odds bodikins, if she comes not you won't lose. _I_
shall and it'll be the devil's own bad luck. No have, no pay. D'ye see
that my young squire?"
Dorrimore could offer no contradiction. All that remained to be
discussed was what would follow supposing fortune favoured them, and
they subsided into a whispered conference which was after a time
interrupted by some of Dorrimore's boon companions, who carried him off
to a wild revelry in the Covent Garden taverns with the last hour at the
"Finish," the tavern of ill-repute on the south side of the market.
Rofflash would have accompanied the party but that a hand was laid on
his arm and a masked lady whispered:--
"One moment, captain, I want you."
He turned. He recognised the speaker by the lower part of her face, the
round, somewhat prominent chin, the imperious mouth with its sensual
lower lip, the bold sweeping contour from the chin to the ear.
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