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The first hour brought them Captain John Ayrton of the 12th LightDragoons, who had been with Wellington and Strange in the Peninsula andat Waterloo. So many questions! He laughed; it was clearly meant to be a merry, carefree laugh, but it soundeda little forced. And sobefore he left France he told several people that when violets bloomed againin spring he would return. In his mind's eye he saw Vinculus, deadon the ground, and a thin, white hand, pointing.

He had lookedabout him and seen men, who had worked diligently all the years of their youth,risen to positions of power and influence; and there is no doubt that he enviedthem. Mr Norrell began to doze without intending to; butseveral times in his dreams he heard Lascelles whispering to himself in thedarkness. IndeedI do. To warn them? So that theycan prepare themselves against a woman's vengeance? Oh, how these menprotect one another! No, I am going to offer them my assistance to free Mrs Strange andStephen Black.