Lord Claud's handsome person, his freedom of speech, and his lavishly-spent gold, made him a favourite everywhere; and now he seemed about to employ his fascinations of mind and body for other purposes.

Tom was to see how they served him in a different sort of life.
The rapid pace at which they were travelling hindered conversation.
Tom would not easily have believed it possible to travel so fast by night, but he trusted himself implicitly to the guidance of his comrade; and the strong, mettlesome, sure-footed horse he rode seemed to make nothing either of his solid weight, or of the distance they had to go.
Presently Lord Claud drew rein.

They were passing through a little copse, where the light was but misty and indistinct, and where the road made a sudden sharp turn almost at right angles, affording complete shelter to any person or persons lying in ambush.
"Now, Tom," said Lord Claud, "this is the spot I have chosen.

There is a village not half a mile distant.

The road is not a dangerous or lonely one--this is the only little bit of wood for some distance, and it is very small.