At length, however, a small iron bolt, which prevented any impertinent intrusion into the penetralia of the Green Dragon, was drawn back, and the lusty form of the landlord made its appearance in the passage.  He instantly recognised Wilton, whose person, indeed, was not very easily forgotten; and laying his finger on the side of his nose, with a look of much sagacity, he led Wilton into a little room which seemed to be his own peculiar abode.

“The Colonel is out, sir,” he said, as soon as the door was closed; “and there are things going on I do not much like.”

Wilton’s mind, full of the thought of Lady Laura, instantly connected the landlord’s words with the fact of her disappearance, but refrained from asking any direct question regarding the lady.  “Indeed, landlord,” he said, “I am sorry to hear that.  What has happened?”

“Why, sir,” answered the landlord, “nothing particular; but only I wish the Colonel was here—­that is all.  I do not like to see tampering with a gentleman’s friends.  You understand, sir—­I wish the Colonel was here.”

“But, landlord,” said Wilton, “can he not be found?  I wish he were here, too, and if you know where he is, I might seek him.  I have something important to say to him.”

“Bless you, sir,” replied the landlord, “he’s half-way to Rochester by this time.  He went well nigh two hours ago, and he is not a man to lose time by the way.  You’ll not see him before to-morrow night, and then, may be, it will be too late.  I’d tell you, sir, upon my life,” he continued, “if you could find him, for he bade me always do so; but you will not meet with him on this side of Gravesend till to-morrow night, when he will most likely be at the Nag’s Head in St. James’s Street about the present blessed hour.  I’ve known him a long time now, sir, and I will say I never saw such another gentleman on the way, though there is Mr. Byerly and many others that are all very gentlemanlike—­but bless you, sir, they do it nothing like the Colonel, so I do not wish him to be wronged.”

“Of course not,” answered Wilton; “but tell me, landlord, had he heard of this unfortunate business of the lady being carried off, before he went?”

“Lord bless you, no, sir,” replied the man—­“I only heard of it myself an hour ago.  But one of our people was talking with a waterman just above there, and he said that there was a covered barge—­like a gentleman’s barge—­came down at a great rate, about six o’clock; and he vowed that he heard somebody moaning and crying in it; but likely that is not true, for he never said a word till after he heard of the Duke’s young lady having been whipped up.”

Wilton obtained easily the name and address of the waterman, and finding that there was no chance whatever of gaining any further intelligence of Green, or any means of communicating with him at an earlier period than the following night, he took his leave of the good host, and rose to depart.  The landlord, however, stopped him for a moment.