He traced them to the Lugton Station, where they had taken the railway, and no one could tell him in what direction the carriage and posthorses had driven.
Madame was, or affected to be, very much shattered by what had occurred.
Her recollection and mine, when my father questioned us closely, differed very materially respecting many details of the _personnel_ of the villanous party.

She was obstinate and clear; and although the gamekeeper corroborated my description of them, still my father was puzzled.

Perhaps he was not sorry that some hesitation was forced upon him, because although at first he would have gone almost any length to detect the persons, on reflection he was pleased that there was not evidence to bring them into a court of justice, the publicity and annoyance of which would have been inconceivably distressing to me.
Madame was in a strange state--tempestuous in temper, talking incessantly--every now and then in floods of tears, and perpetually on her knees pouring forth torrents of thanksgiving to Heaven for our joint deliverance from the hands of those villains.

Notwithstanding our community of danger and her thankfulness on my behalf, however, she broke forth into wrath and railing whenever we were alone together.
'Wat fool you were! so disobedient and obstinate; if you 'ad done wat _I_ say, then we should av been quaite safe; those persons they were tipsy, and there is nothing so dangerous as to quarrel with tipsy persons; I would 'av brought you quaite safe--the lady she seem so nice and quaite, and we should 'av been safe with her--there would 'av been nothing absolutely; but instead you would scream and pooshe, and so they grow quite wild, and all the impertinence and violence follow of course; and that a poor Bill--all his beating and danger to his life it is cause entairely by you.' And she spoke with more real virulence than that kind of upbraiding generally exhibits.
'The beast!' exclaimed Mrs.Rusk, when she, I, and Mary Quince were in my room together, 'with all her crying and praying, I'd like to know as much as she does, maybe, about them rascals.

There never was sich like about the place, long as I remember it, till she came to Knowl, old witch! with them unmerciful big bones of hers, and her great bald head, grinning here, and crying there, and her nose everywhere.