Considerable amusement was excited by Robert's recital of his conversation with Mrs. Fielding. This, he lost no time in reporting to his master immediately upon his return; finding him in the garden, gracefully and agreeably employed in tossing his beautiful cousin about in a swing hung between two trees. The most important pan of his story was relating to what the communicative old lady said about her daughter, and her journey to London, which at once confirmed Miss Bonham in her suspicions.
'Depend upon it, Alfred, the old goose has placed her in some good first-class finishing school, so that the future Mrs. Bonham, confound her! may have a little surface polish.' (This was hitting the right nail on the head with a vengeance.) 'But,' continued Eliza, 'the deuce is in it if I don't find out either from her mother, or my respected father's correspondence, what her address is, and once found, I'll leave the rest to you, dear Alfred.'
As a further allusion to their plans before Robert, might be indiscreet, they changed the conversation; the Captain asking his servant if Mrs.
Fielding's ale was pretty good, and whether she had asked him who his master was. To the first question the hopeful young man returned a most unqualified assent; to the latter, he replied by giving his master an account of a certain Major Ringtail, to the Captain's intense amusement.
'And, upon my word, sir,' said Robert, 'it's just as well there is no such officer in the regiment; for while professing the greatest regard and attachment for him, I've given him a character that would damn a whole brigade, officers and men. The old lady's hair stood on end, so that it actually lifted her mobcap off her venerable head.'
'Why-what in the name of wonder, did you tell her, Robert?' asked Captain Torrant, who perceived his valet's half-tipsy predicament and anticipated some funny disclosures.
'Faith, sir, I could not tell you half what I said to her-not in Miss Bonham's presence, sir.'
'Oh, never mind Miss Bonham,' replied the Captain giving that lady a push to set her swinging, so that the colour of her garters was no particular mystery, 'she knows what soldiers are, and will excuse a little loose talk, so out with it!'
Thus adjured, Robert, who in his excited state wished for nothing better, started at once into his description of the gallant Major, while crediting him with every vice under the sun, or nearly so, and ending with giving him a character for high respectability, tickled Alfred's fancy amazingly.
Both he and his cousin Eliza were delighted with Robert's description of the scene in the chapel; and although the young lady actually did blush, and pretended to look confused, she swallowed every incident of the story with great gusto, from the appearance of the pretty legs over the side of the pew, to the mythical Major's withdrawal of his prick from its bleeding sheath.
'How can Robert invent such a pack of nonsense, my dear?' appealing to her lover in pretended indignation.
'Indeed, my love, I think it is very natural and clever. I only hope that it is all invention. I say, sir,' (turning to his man) 'how did you come by Miss Larcher's name? Was that a name out of your own head, like the Major's?'
Here Robert, evidently a little confused, scratched the article referred to, as he said very slowly: 'Why, no, sir, not exactly. I was hard up for a name, and I noticed one as we came through Rutshole: Mary Larcher, sir, Temperance Hotel, sir.
Little disreputable hole, left-hand side, High Street, sir.'
'My good gracious Heavens, Alfred!' almost shrieked Eliza, 'she is a most respectable woman, a regular prim, starched, old maid; and what's more, she's acquainted with Papa, and her being a regular member of Mr. Stiggins' congregation will make the story seem as if it had some truth in it! And that abominable chattering old goose will go telling the story everywhere! Oh! how can you laugh so? It is very serious!'
This was addressed to her cousin, who seemed to think that this description of the maligned Miss Larcher, gave point to the joke; for he absolutely roared with delight, and went about stamping his feet in perfect ecstasies of enjoyment. It must have been contagious, for in spite of Eliza's vexation, knowing that the scandal must reach her father's ears, she began to laugh merrily, and even Robert, finding that his bringing forward a respectable woman's name was not going to bring punishment on him by his master-he cared for nobody elseindulged in a respectful snigger.
'It's all the same, sir, I suppose it don't matter much what I said about such rubbish as that there Stiggins?'
'Why sir?' replied the Captain.
'Only sir, that he went to the barracks next day.'
'You mean, you rascal, that you told Mrs. Fielding that he went to the barracks,' interrupted his master. 'It's all the same, sir,' remarked Robert, coolly; and then proceeded to give his hearers an account of the Reverent party attempting to extort a bribe from the Fabulous Major; and that personage retorting upon the apostle with an accusation of his having been detected in the act of copulating with a pig. All this Robert related as he had told it to Mrs. Fielding, with as much preciseness and gravity, as if he had been an eye-witness to the whole affair; copulating, kicking out of the barracks, and all.
Captain Torrant fairly shrieked and yelled with laughter.
'You'll be the death of me, you lying rascal!' he gasped out, 'you will, by Jove! Do you mean to tell me that Mrs. Fielding swallowed this enormous bucketful of lies?'
'Well, I think she took it nearly all hi,' was the deliberate reply. 'At any rate sir,' continued Robert, more cheerfully, 'if she did not believe it quite altogether, she is certain to repeat it all!'
'Your remark, Robert, is perfectly correct, and shows a knowledge of human nature, for which I did not give you credit. And now you can go and look after the horses; you have done more mischief during this forenoon than any other man could do in a month and I am perfectly satisfied.'
On this, Robert raised his hand to his hat, and turned to go, Miss Bonham calling out to him: 'And Robert, I'll trouble you to leave my maid Lucy alone, she is a nice girl, and I don't want her pulled about!'
Robert silently saluted, and took his departure.
'What a jolly row there will be all over Rutshole, won't there, my beauty? I can fancy I see Stiggins and Miss Larcher, instructing their lawyers to bring actions against Major Ringtail or his man, or both for defamation of character! There is one good thing, the fact of Mrs.
Fielding being instrumental in spreading these reports won't raise her in the estimation of her future son-in-law!'
'That it won't,' replied Eliza, emphatically, 'and I think that Robert has done us a very great service this morning, both in raising these reports, absurd as they are, and getting us the information about Rosa.'
'Yes, he's a useful, clever fellow, but a dreadful scamp among the girls.'
'Takes after his master, I suppose!' archly interrupted Eliza, for which she was rewarded by almost being pulled off the swing to be kissed, while her lover thrust his hand between her thighs into her moistened cunt. Still keeping her in this pleasant position the Captain continued: 'What on earth did you tell him to keep off your maid for? Don't you know that it was the very thing to make him attempt her person?'
'Certainly not,' replied the lady, 'he dare not after my forbidding him, besides Lucy would not let him.'
'Oh, nonsense!' replied the experienced dragoon, 'if his prick begins to stand, he won't care for your forbidding him, or anybody else, and as for Lucy-to pay you off, my beauty, I dare say she takes after her young mistress!'
'Catch that for your impudence, sir!' said Eliza, giving him a slap on the face but not a very hard one, that's the truth.
'Well, dearest,' said the Captain, 'I'll bet you anything you like that Robert fucks your maid within the present half hour!'
'Done, sir,' was the ready reply.
And it was thereupon agreed that they should return to the house to keep an eye on the interesting pair; Alfred lifting Eliza from the swing in such a way as to expose all the secret charms that young lady had to show, both to his delighted eyes and his searching hands.
'There, that'll do, dear,' said the lady reprovingly, 'no more at present, thank you! What shall our bet be?'
'Well,' replied her cousin, 'a younger lover than myself would bet twenty kisses, or a delicious fuck, but I am so blessed as to be favoured with those exquisite treats, nearly as often as is good for me. I'll tell you what your penalty shall be.'
Here he whispered in his cousin's ear something or other which the lady appeared at first to receive with high disdain.
'Nonsense, sir,' was her reply, 'you shan't do anything of the sort! My bottom indeed! most disgustingly indecent; and what's more, I do not see what pleasure I shall have in the matter. You will gratify your lust, of course, and very sensual lust it is in this instance; but I should think I shall be more hurt than gratified. Oh yes, I dare say my bottom is very white and pretty, but you are not going to enjoy it as you propose, Master Alfred, for all that.'
Now it was the Captain's turn and very eloquent he was. He represented that it would not hurt her at all, only tickle her; and as he would not have to use a condom, he should enjoy the unusual felicity of spunking into her.
'A special delight, dearest Eliza, from which injustice to you, I debar myself!'
'Well,' said the lady, rather relenting-'you are a very good boy in that respect; and as you say you are quite sure you will not hurt me-to be sure, it is a horribly indelicate proceeding! But you are pretty sure to lose your bet, so the chances are that I shall not have to submit my posterior to any such indignity after all. And mind, sir, if you lose your bet, you are to bring me half-a-dozen pairs of silk stockings.'
'That I shall do-whether I win or lose,' replied the enraptured lover, squeezing his cousin's graceful waist, as they proceeded towards the house. As they went, they argued the point, as to where their faithful domestics were likely to be found; Alfred suggesting the stable or the hay loft as a likely place for a find, but as this involved the fact of Lucy going there to look after Robert, Miss Bonham repudiated the idea on behalf of her sex, and suggested a spare bedroom on the same floor as her chamber, as a likely place. Finally they came to the determination of visiting the stables in the first instance, and if unsuccessful there, of trying the bedroom.
On entering the stables, certainly there was no Robert. His horses were there, and all right, as the Captain at once perceived. Before leaving the stables however, he noticed an intelligent looking stable helper, busy with a broom, about nothing particular. To him the Captain presented a half-crown, asking him at the same time if the horses were all right, and if his man Robert, had been in the stable lately.
'Oh, dear, no sir,' said the lad, 'not for a quarter of an hour at least,' quite loudly, as if for the benefit of some third party hearing him; but at the same time he winked knowingly, and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to an iron grating, which, as Captain Torrant well knew, divided the stable from the unoccupied loose box.
Unoccupied however, on the present occasion it was not, as the gentleman and his cousin very soon discovered. Proceeding very quietly in the direction indicated, while the stable lad made as much noise with his broom as he conveniently could, in order to drown any possible sound of their footsteps, the pair of lovers peeped through the grating and then their eyes were greeted with the prospect of another pair of lovers; and this was the position in which they were discovered.
On a loose truss of hay the elegant lady's maid, Lucy, was kneeling, with her thighs tolerably opened, while Robert, crouching down behind her, was imprinting lascivious kisses on her thighs, her rump and her cunt. Finally, confining his attention to the last feature, he divided the orifice with his tongue, working it about in such a way which must have inflamed Miss Lucy's amatory organs considerably.
Then as he proceeded to take down his breeches, Alfred whispered to Eliza: 'Now, love, you see as he has ploughed up the furrow he is very properly going to put his seed into it-aye! there he goes-devilish nice legs, your little girl has got! Fine bottom too, very fine!'
'Surely, Alfred dear,' whispered his cousin, 'he cannot be going to shove his cock into her button hole!'
'No, dearest, I think not,' returned the gentleman, 'if he had intended to do so, he would have moistened that orifice and not her cunt.'
Captain Torrant was partly wrong and partly right. Robert certainly began in what is generally considered the legitimate sphere of action, but as Lucy was very much excited, and he had had already a very first rate fuck that morning, it so happened that the hand maiden arrived at the crisis of her enjoyment before the amiable young man had affected his share of the business. No doubt, in feeling her elixir bathing his cock, a bright idea struck him: he withdrew his weapon, and Lucy no doubt, fancied that he, like her, had finished his performance; so she made a slight movement, as if about to rise. But no such thing, mademoiselle! Robert put his hand to the orifice he had so lately occupied, and covering his fingers with her warm, oily liquor, dexterously lubricated her small rump-hole with it, inserting one of his fingers moreover, as a light advanced courier, to prepare the way for that grandee-his prick. That noble plenipotentiary followed in due course, the only objection made by Lucy being such as may be expressed by a small exclamation of 'oh!' and a slight shrinking of her buttocks, as Robert's inflamed end forced its way into her small but elastic hole. And then the rogue seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly: his face absolutely glowed with lustful delight; and at every fresh thrust he gave, he made a low grunt, as a paviour does when using his rammer in the street. At last with one grand shove, he went right in up to the balls, and stayed in for about half-a-minute, motionless.
'Does that not look nice, my sweet Eliza,' whispered her lover. Eliza said nothing, but we suppose thought the more, and not altogether in a hostile spirit, it is to be presumed since, when her cousin again said, 'Now darling, while they recover themselves, suppose you come and pay me your debts,' she made no objection, but smiling and blushing, put her arm within Alfred's and allowed him to lead her out of the stable. The gentleman as he passed the stable boy, put his finger on his lips, which signal the discreet functionary well understood.
Then the lovers walked silently into the house, where however, a disagreeable surprise awaited them, being no less than the unexpected arrival of Mr. Bonham! 'Oh, bother take him!' his dutiful daughter remarked, 'I did not expect him until tomorrow, or late tonight at the earliest. What can have induced him to return so soon?'
'Confound nun!' muttered Alfred, apostrophising his future father-inlaw, 'what's to be done now?'
'Oh, perhaps now I shall get off paying my bet!' said Eliza, glancing wickedly at her cousin, then seeing the look of deep vexation that came over his face, she continued, 'never mind, dearest, he will perhaps want some refreshment, as it is still a good three hours till dinner-time, and while he is taking it, we can have another short stroll in the garden. There is a convenient little house of retreat, you know, among the bushes at the end of the serpentine walk, and there you know, although it is not a very genteel place for the purpose, you can-'
'Of course I can, darling,' interrupting her with a graceful kiss, 'what a capital manager you are!'
'Then mind, sir, that you are a good manager too,' replied the young lady. 'And don't hurt me any more than Robert did Lucy.'
'I shan't hurt you at all, pet,' was the reply. 'Robert was rather rough and piercing, I shall be very gentlemanly, only mind you bring a small pot of cold cream with you. A privy or a water closet is a capital place for such an encounter, as my injection might produce all the effect of a warm clyster.'
'Upon my word sir, this must be a nice treat that you have in store for me,' said Eliza, pretending to pout, 'but I have a little curiosity to find out a new sensation, and I suppose I must submit. Do you go back up to the stables, and warn the interesting pair whom we have just left, that our coachman will be coming in with horses, and I'll tell Papa that you have gone for yours, to be got ready for your return after dinner. Of course you have called here accidentally.'
So saying she slipped away.
Captain Torrant, going into the stables, called to the stable-boy, saying in a loud voice that his master had returned. This piece of intelligence produced Robert and Lucy pretty quickly out of the loose box, while the boy hurried out to open the stable yard gates, to admit the carriage. Lucy looked blushing and self-conscious, while Robert received his master's orders to prepare his tandem for their return at eight in the evening, with a most imperturbable expression of countenance.
'Please don't tell Miss Eliza, sir, that you found me with Robert in the stable,' pleaded Lucy.
'Oh, of course not/ was the officer's reply, thinking how unnecessary it was for him to say anything about it. 'I hope you have been enjoying yourself,' said he with a meaning look, and as she, covered with blushes, attempted to run past him, he caught hold of her and lifting her petticoats, exclaimed as he put his hand in her cunt. 'What a devilish nice pair of legs and thighs, and-ha! just as I expected, your nice little cunt open and moist! Did she make a good fuck, Robert?'
'Most lovely, sir,' with praiseworthy solemnity.
'Do let me go sir,' entreated Lucy, 'I hear the carriage coming into the yard.'
'Well, get along with you,' he said, 'I won't tell any tales, you may depend.'
'Thank you sir!' and off she ran blushing deeply.
'Governor come home, sir?' said Robert interrogatively.
'Yes, Robert, he has, and it's rather a bore, for he don't approve of my staying here all night-and if he does not invite me specially, I must go away at eight, but if it comes on to be a wet evening, I shall only drive as far as the Red Lion, in Rutshole, and go on to the barracks tomorrow.
But you do be ready with the horses at eight, unless you hear to the contrary.'
Robert said, 'Certainly sir,' and his master walked into the house.
Here he met with a most gracious reception from Mr. Bonham, — a couple of glasses of Madeira after his drive, having put that gentleman into a rare good humour. He even bantered Alfred on his seizing the opportunity of his absence as a favourable occasion for calling upon his daughter Eliza; and he little knew-poor, innocent old gentlemanhow near he was to the truth, when he affected to suppose that the young lady had given her lover notice of the house being clear. But Captain Torrant declared, with every appearance of virtuous innocence, that he came to consult his revered uncle in supplying part of the purchase money.
This was so plausibly put, that, after some humming and ha-ing, Mr.
Bonham promised to take the matter into consideration. Then his fair daughter remarked, that as her Papa did not seem to have brought home any London news worth hearing, she would go and take a walk in the garden and of course Captain Torrant offered her his company.
'I'll join you in half an hour or so, my dear,' said her obliging Papa.
'Thank you, Papa,' said his grateful daughter, who could have dispensed with his company remarkably well.
'Have you got the cold cream, dear Eliza?' asked her lover, as soon as they were fairly in the garden.
'Of course I have, sir,' she replied, 'I don't want to run the risk of being split up more than is absolutely necessary, and although it is not becoming in me to be eager for such an abominable performance, still I should humbly recommend your getting your share of it over, before my respectful parent makes his appearance, for he might not seem to see it in the same light, and might even consider it somewhat remarkable, if he found us both coming out of the privy together.'
'You are quite right, as usual, my darling,' replied Alfred gallantly.
'And here we are, arrived at our little city of refuge-snug enough and not much fear of being interrupted. There is a bolt to the door I see.
There now,' suiting the action to the word, — 'we are all snug, and you'll allow me to put you in the most convenient position.'
With this he raised one of Eliza's long graceful legs upon the closet seat, and instructing her to bend her head downwards, he turned her clothes over her shoulders. Then taking the cold cream from her, he not only lubricated her small orifice, but bestowed a plentiful supply of the emollient, over his eager cock, this time unsheathed and erect, in all the pride of naked beauty.
'And now, my lovely pet,' said he, laying the end of his cock upon the orifice.
But no sooner did Miss Bonham feel the rounded end, than a sense of great disproportion between his instrument and her hole became apparent to her mind, and she exclaimed: 'My dear Alfred, I do not wish to disappoint you, but I am afraid we have attempted an impossibility, you never can get into my body by this road!'
But the lustful young officer thought differently; he knew that if he could get one good inch well in-the rest was easy; and so, firmly but gently, urged his point; and was rewarded for his pains, by going into his darling's arse, with an easy gliding motion; the tight India-rubber- like elasticity of the passage being partially conquered by the copious application of the cream.
All that the young lady did was to mutter in broken sentences: 'So you have managed-it! dearest-I thought-you never would-be able! It does not hurt-me-as-I feared it-would-it only-rather tickles me. My good gracious! What a flood of hot oil you have injected into my bowels!
Why Alfred dear, fond as you are of me, I think you never paid me such a lot of compliments at once, since we fell in love with each other!'
This last remark on the lady's part, was occasioned by the enthusiastic praises, lavished by her delighted lover on her various charms, as he was ramming his belly against the fine soft cheeks of her rump.
He seemed half mad with sensual rapture, and as well as his physical efforts would permit, kept up a running fire of expressions of admiration; in which his blind adoration mingled with good qualities of his mistress's mind and body together, in a most incongruous manner.
He went on, in what would have been under any other circumstances, a most ridiculous way about her loving nature and her plump thighs, about her loving disposition and her delicious cunt; about her perfect taste in dress and her glorious buttocks, and finally referring to the delicious operation he was performing, declared that in all his experience he had never known such exquisite and complete enjoyment.
A good deal of this pleasure was, doubtless to be attributed to his lovely friend, who naturally flattered at hearing such enthusiasm exhibited with regard to her person, endeavoured to return the compliment by exerting herself as well as she could under what, to her, were rather unusual circumstances. All she could do was to straddle her legs as far apart as she was conveniently able, and to shove her rump out to meet her lover's long shoves. This she was the better able to do, as he did not perform nearly as quickly as she had been accustomed to be fucked when lying on her back, or in any posture with her belly up. On the contrary, he worked his prick in and out, as if he were desirous of protracting his treat, as there is no reason to doubt he really was. But he could not continue forever; and at last the interesting incident occurred, which called forth the remark from Eliza, about her 'bowels' and 'warm oil', and etc., etc. Nor was this all, for when he withdrew his comely weapon from its charming sheath, and prepared to stow the much subdued implement away in the sanctuary of his trousers, Eliza remarked: 'Be quick, dearest Alfred, and get away with you, for to speak plain English, I want to make use of this little house in a necessary point of view.'
Indeed, before the gallant Captain could get himself buttoned up, nature compelled Miss Bonham, greatly against her ideas of delicacy, to lift the seat she had just been stooping over and again baring her beautiful bottom, to put the temple of refuge to its legitimate use.
All this the Captain viewed with the utmost complacency; in fact, he rather expected it, as a natural consequence, and was cool enough about the matter to hand his cousin some soft paper which he happened to have in his pocket. And there is not the slightest doubt that he would have waited in attendance on his fair lady, until she had finished her business, had not the prudent Eliza suggested the propriety of his absenting himself, for fear Mr. Bonham should find him in or near the temple, which with Eliza inside, must have looked very suspicious.
So the gallant commander, lighting a cigar, took himself off and paraded a neighbouring walk, until such time as Mr. Bonham should make his appearance, or his daughter should emerge from her lurking place. The former event took place first, and Mr. Bonham's approach was made known by his heavy footsteps, and his blowing his nose after the manner of a trumpet, heralding his advent.
'Ha! Alfred my boy, all by yourself! What have you done with Eliza?'
'Miss Bonham, Uncle, left me a few minutes ago, I don't know exactly where she has gone but I have no doubt she will return directly.'
The answer was made with the greatest coolness and most commendable gravity, and certainly without leaving the elderly gentleman room to suppose that anything uncommon had taken place during the last twenty minutes or thereabouts.
'Eliza is a charming girl, though I am her father and perhaps should not say so,' remarked the old gentleman, as they walked along. To this, the younger one gave ready assent.
'And as good as she looks,' continued Mr. Bonham.
'You should be no stranger to my opinion of my cousin Eliza's charms, by this time sir,' replied the young officer. 'I consider her to be all perfection, both in her mind and person (I wonder what the old boy would say if he knew how intimately I am acquainted with all parts of her beautiful body, both back and front.)'
This last remark, as may be imagined, he made to himself.
'Well, Alfred,' his uncle resumed, 'as soon as you get your step, I do not see any particular objection to your being married. What with your private property, your pay and Eliza's money-ahem! — you ought to be able to do very well, and I'll look and see what cash on hand I have at my bankers. I am not sorry to hear that your Major is about to leave your corps. I have heard a very bad character of him.'
'Indeed sir!' was the reply, 'I am surprised to hear that. Major Pobjoy is considered a very respectable man, rather pious indeed, and very discreet.'
'Pobjoy wasn't the name mentioned to me, but I heard of the affair this day, as I passed through Rutshole, and very hurriedly. A respectable tenant of mine, or rather the wife of a tenant,' (Mrs. Fielding, I'll bet a sovereign, muttered Alfred)-'told me some hardly credible stories about a certain Major named Ringdove, or Stifftail or some such name as that.'
'By Gad, she's very sharp about it!' muttered Torrant, and then said out aloud: 'I don't know any officer of that name, sir, but pray, what has the culprit been doing?'
'Why my dear boy, I hardly like mentioning such indecent subjects; but I believe he had connection with a young lady of the Reverend Stiggins' congregation, in the chapel, under that faithful shepherd's very nose!'
'Pray, uncle, did the lady enjoy being fucked?'
'Why no, I can't say that I understood she did,' replied Mr. Bonham, completely taken back both by the question and the straightforward way in which it was asked. 'But the scandal does not stop there, for on the sainted pastor proceeding to the barracks next day to reprove the man of sin, and entreat him to flee from the wrath to come, Major Dovetail, or whatever his name is, accused the apostle of having been detected in the criminal action of having connection with a swine, and kicked him out of the barracks.'
'Had Mr. Stiggins been discovered poking a pig?' asked Captain Torrant, with an air of great interest, not as if the incident was at all unlikely.
'Great Providence, nephew, no! Why Stiggins is next door but one to one of the holy apostles and-'
'But he may have buggered the pig for all that,' stubbornly insisted Captain Torrant, 'at least it is as likely as any part of the story. There is no Major Ringdove or Stiff tail, or any such name in our regiment. One of the lambs of the fold may have got rogered, in the fear of the Lord, and in the middle of the sermon-very likely-and Stiggins may have been kicked out of the barracks, and may be again, if he goes there on any of his stinking errands. The pig copulation I know nothing about-I wasn't there so didn't see it. But here comes my fair cousin, so perhaps we had better defer our discussion until some other time.'
'I think so, indeed, Alfred,' was the reply, 'but I see that I have been imposed upon, and I should like to hear a little more from you on the subject, so instead of returning tonight, suppose you stay here and we will talk over matters in general, and your future prospects, matrimonial and otherwise. Here comes Eliza; let us walk together to the stables, and countermand your horses…'
So saying the trio walked off in the direction of the yard, Miss Bonham not at all displeased to hear her dear cousin's consent to pass the night at Rutsden Lodge.