ames--may swear an information against me, and I may be arrested, on the charge of being concerned in a plot. I am not much afraid of it, if they do. The most they could say is that I was p

etty hot tempered, might say things that would irritate them, while they could be of no assistance to me. Therefore, I would ra

authorities, by showing his activity and zeal; and, of course, he will imagine that no one has any idea that he has been in communication with this spy. We have got a hold over him, and, when I come back, I w

ss that we have learnt it from Ciceley. You

e will think of that, afterwards; maybe nothing will come of it, after all. But, if anything does, mind, my orders ar

d nothing come of the business, I don't want him to know that, at present. The fellow can henceforth do us no harm, for we shall be on our guard against eavesdroppers; and, for the sake of cousin Celia and t

d see Harry Jervoise. I promised him th

of Mr. Jervoise's fine old mansion, he leapt off his ho

to speak to you,

nxiously, as the lad was shown into the room, where

ay today, in case any trouble should arise out of what took place yesterd

Marmaduke think, then,

pects it, sir, but he sa

ing us before, and, certainly, he can have heard nothing yesterday. The fellow can only say what many people know, or could know,

that, at the worst, it could

ount to that. You will find Harry somewhere about th

ally anxious for the coming of him whom they regarded as their lawful monarch. They spent the morning together, as usual; went first to the stables and patted and talked to their horses; then they played at b

d rode for home. When within half a mile of the hou

hat is it? No ba

se, alarmed at the pallor

s, and have been waiting for the last two hour

n't I go to

en soldiers, and three o

my fa

e taken h

ght that it might be so. But it will not be very

shook his h

, Master Charles. It i

ks," Charlie said, feeling much

ernoon, two magistrates, John

r Whigs," Ch

ey had with them six const

e said. "Did they think my father was goi

magistrates, and the constables, and four of the soldier

our of this visit?' he sai

rrest you, on the charge of being concerned i

duke laugh

there are thousands in this realm with me; but, as for a design against his life, I should say, gentlemen, there are few who kno

r Marmaduke,' John Cockshaw said. 'We are ac

duke was a

it,' he said, 'and, kinsman though he is by m

cooled do

have to do your duty. W

e house, for any treasonable docu

e settles. 'The house is open to you. My butler, James Banks, will go round

utside door, and one at the other end of the room. Sir Marmaduke said nothing, but shrugged his should

he study,' John Cockshaw

where Sir Marmaduke writes when he does write, which is not

' he said. 'I don't open the desk once in three month

turned the vase over, a

hide, gentlemen,' I said, 'so,

t, and put the key in

ed to open, this desk. Here is a mark, as if

is as the man says. Someone has been trying to force the lock--one of t

nce, one way or the other

aw, but, at the same time

ng at the papers in the pigeonholes, they pulled open the lower drawer, and took two foreign-looking letters out fr

rs said. 'Here is enoug

had brought with him. Then they searched all the other furniture, but they

aduke said, 'have you found

rch, in your private cabinet--letters that prove, beyond all doubt, that you are concerned

uke sprang

that kind in my cabinet?' he

te bowed, but

ere by some scoundrel, who plotted my ruin. I assert to you, on the honour of a gentleman, that no such letters have ever met my eye, and t

r is beyond us. We have received a sworn information that you are engaged in such a plot. We are told that you are in the habit of locking up papers of importance in a certain cabinet, and there we f

as quieter than I thought he could be, in such a strait,

y, gentleme

pered in Coc

l-nigh forgotten,' and he turned to m

'He rode away this morning, and d

you expect

Master Charles rides out to visit his frien

sked coldly, 'that my son is also

' John Cockshaw said, 'and is, therefo

questioned the grooms, and found that you had, as I said, ridden off. When they came back, there was some talk between the magistrates, and then, as I said, fo

fe. I have heard him speak so often of the assassination plot, and how disgraceful it was, and how, apart from its wic

nd that he did not know that they were there. But how is it to be proved, sir? Everyone knows that Sir Marmaduke is a Jacobite, and is regarded as the head of the party

ld believe that such a matter as this

spared, would be confiscated. In such a case, it might be granted to anyone, and possibly even to the son of him they would call the traitor. But the accusation that the son was co

hat do you think

them take me to join my father in Lanca

ught the matter well over. You might be able to do more good to Sir Marmaduke were you free, than you could do if you were caged up with him. He

Jervoise. Besides, he ought to be warned, for he, too, may be arres

. They are keeping a sharp lookout at the stables, and have a soldier at each door, to see that no one

ather showed it to m

will know that I have left the house. You know

want to come into the house aga

nt more, there is a store hidden away, in the hiding place under the floor

ou go through that to get to the long passage, bu

ut he would have done it later on, so I do not consider that I am breaking my oa

hat gives light to the room. It is h

ner, in the angle of the flag below, and you will find the other corner rise. Then you get hold of it and lift it up, and below there is a stone chamber, two feet long an

ney would be wanted when troops had to be raised. I was with him about three weeks ago, when he put in there

may be very useful to

r, if I have any news that it

. If I am not there, he will

nothing that he would not do for you. But you had best stop no longer. Should they find out that I a

nted, and rode back

oldiers, on the road towards Lancaster. So that villain we chased last night must have learnt something. I suppose they will be here tomorrow, but I do not see what serious charge they can have against us. We

charge against my father. It i

anks had told him, interrupted occasionally

story. "Infamous! There was never a word said of such a scheme,

y believe it. No doubt those who put those papers

ared to swear that he heard the plot discussed by us all. They seized your father, today, as being the principal and

ll go over, with you, to one of my tenants, and you can both sleep there. It will not be necessary for you to leave for another

door, having also heard the

e story. "No doubt you are right, and that John Dormay i

coward, and he might call for aid, and I might be dragged off to Lancaster. Moreover, he is Ciceley's father, and my cousin Celia's husband, and, were I

cient to convict my father, the spy we had in our house will be ready to swear that he heard your father, and mine, and the others, making arrangem

Nothing was said, upon the subject, until the servitors had retired, and

n them of what has taken place. That is clearly my duty. I shall not return until I learn whether warrants are out for my apprehension. Of course

e last to be searched, and, if a very sharp lookout is kept there, a body of men riding up the valley would be seen over a

rrant of arrest. It could only relate to us, who were in the habit of meeting at Sir Marmaduke's. You will ride ov

arge of being concerned in a plot against William's life. In the next place, who are the witnesses, and what ev

him to acknowledge that it is all false, or else kill him? I should be in my right in d

it us. It would be assumed, of course, that we had removed him to prevent his giving evidence against us. No doubt his depositions have been taken down, and they woul

r? I am sure I can get a dozen men, from among the tenan

a special assizes at Lancaster, or the trial may take place in London. At any rate, nothing whatever can be done, until we know more. I have means of learning what takes place at Lancaster, for we have friends there, as well as a

to visit all our friends who met at Lynnwood, and it will

supply of torches, for, although Harry knew the road--which was little better than a sheep track--well enough

st, and a drizzling rain had begun to come down. They could hardly see their horses' heads, and had proceeded but a short distanc

urf fire glowing on the hearth when they arrived, and a hearty welcome awaiting them from the farmer, his wife, and daughters. Harry had, by his father's advice, brought two changes of clothes in a valise, but they were so completely soaked to th

eborough, six miles away, and on some of the other hilltops. The change of weather had an inspiriting effect, and they w

can see you again, Harry," Charl

people come and take possession, and send a man off to you with the news privately, but that, if n

er, it will be horribly dull for me up here, w

were you, I would go for a good walk among the hills. It will be much better for you t

ready. Before he had finished his dinner there was a tap at the door, and then a young fellow,

he news?"

se, high and low, for papers. No one is allowed to leave the place, but Master Harry came out to the stables and gave me his orders, and I did not find much difficulty in slipping out without their noticing me. Mr. Harry said that he had no news of Mr. Jervo

he started to go back. He required no pressing, but, as soon as his hunger was satisfied, he start

as companion in his flight. If Mr. Jervoise and Harry also left the country, it would be vastly more pleasant for both his father and himself. Where they would go to, or what they would do, he had no idea, but it seemed to him that exile among strangers would be bearable, if he had his fr

e. All his school friends, as well as the gentlemen who visited his father, were firm adherents of it, and he believed that the same sentiments must everywhere p

fter dark that the

l not return at present, but, if Mr. Harry can manage to slip away unnoticed in the afternoon, tomorrow, he is to come here. He is n

s going on outside the house, but Mr. Jervoise might be able to tell him something about hi

arge affecting his life hanging over him. What he could do he knew not, but anything would be better than doing nothing. Mr. Jervoise had seemed to think that it was out of

ants, and the sons of the older ones, and jotted down the na

I have ridden there with my father, and I know that the castle is a strong one, but I did not notice it very particularly. The first thing to do will be to go and exami

come tomorrow. It is horrib

ssly in and out, walking a little distance up the hill rising from the valley

clock, he saw a figure coming down the hillside from the right. It was too far away to recognize with certainty, but, by the rapid pa

ew hundred yards up the hill, he met his friend, both

father a

t y

the short grass, with an e

oom next mine, and closed and locked the door after me. You know the ivy grows high up the wall there, and directly I got in, I threw open the casement and climbed down by it. It gave way two or three times, and I thought I was gone, but I stuck to it, and managed each time to get a fresh hold. The moment I was down, I ran along by the foot of the w