ker ch ief , ▁he ▁retre ated ▁on ▁his ▁path , ▁seeking ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁' Blue ▁Bell ' ▁public ▁house . ▁The ▁land l ord ' s ▁little ▁girl ▁was ▁ready ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁Cla re ' s ▁c ott age , ▁and ▁did ▁so , ▁leaving ▁the ▁stranger ▁at ▁the ▁door . ▁Mr . ▁Town send , ▁now ▁fairly ▁prepared ▁to ▁fall ▁into ▁the ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁brother ▁poet , ▁though ▁not ▁lik ing ▁the ▁look ▁of ▁his ▁residence , ▁c aut iously ▁opened ▁the ▁door ; ▁but ▁started ▁back ▁immediately ▁on ▁beh old ing ▁the ▁highway man ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁room , ▁si pping ▁a ▁bas in ▁of ▁bro th . ▁There ▁seemed ▁a ▁hor rible ▁consp i racy ▁for ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁a ▁literary ▁gentleman ▁from ▁London ▁in ▁this ▁North am pt ons hire ▁village . ▁Mrs . ▁Cla re , ▁fort un ately , ▁interven ed ▁at ▁the ▁nick ▁of ▁time ▁to ▁keep ▁Mr . ▁Town send ▁from ▁f ain ting . ▁Pat ty , ▁always ▁neat ly ▁dressed ▁( save ▁and ▁except ▁on ▁was hing ▁days ), ▁approached ▁the ▁visitor ; ▁and ▁her ▁gentle ▁looks ▁re - ass ured ▁Mr . ▁Cha un ce y ▁H are ▁Town send . ▁He ▁w ip ed ▁his ▁hot ▁brow ▁with ▁his ▁sc ented ▁hand ker ch ief , ▁and , ▁not ▁without ▁em otion , ▁introduced ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁and ▁the ▁neat ▁little ▁wife . ▁The ▁conversation ▁which ▁followed ▁was ▁short