Aye, I thought so----!"  He nodded as in the
dark beyond the curtained windows came the measured tramp of feet, a
hoarse command and the ring of grounded muskets.

"Sir--sir," exclaimed Lord Medhurst, "God forgive me that I all
unwitting as I was, should bring you to this black hazard."

"Nay, my lord," answered the Major, smiling into the earl's troubled
face, "grieve not yourself on my account, 'twas I brought you hither
knowing who you were, so do not reproach yourself, 'tis but the fortune
of war.  Hark, they are here, I think----"

"Then I'll go meet 'em!" said his lordship, "I'll give myself up--they
shall never--take me!"

"Well said, sir," nodded the Major, his brow unruffled and serene,
"we'll go together!  Pray, Sergeant, open the door!"

"Don't, Sergeant, don't!" panted Mrs. Agatha, "wait--O--wait!"  Thus,
speaking, she sped across the room and, kneeling before the great
fireplace, seemed to feel along the carved foliage of the mantel with
frenzied fingers, then uttered a gasp of satisfaction: "Quick--quick my
lord!" she panted.  And even as she spoke the great hearthstone sank
down endwise turning upon itself and disclosing a narrow flight of
steps.  The earl uttered a sound between a laugh and a sob, turned
aside to take up hat and sword and, descending into the gloomy depths,
glanced up blithe of eye and waved his hand as the stone swung back
into place above him.

Then Mrs. Agatha rose, dusted her silken gown with her pretty white
hands and curtseyed:

"Your honour," said she, "with your leave, I'll run out to my poor,
silly, frighted maids!" and taking up bowl and sponges while the
Sergeant opened the door, she rustled away.  With the door still in his
hand, Sergeant Zebedee turned to stare at the Major and found the Major
staring at him.

"Sir," said he at last, "s
Aye, I thought so----! "   He nodded as in the 
 dark beyond the curtained windows do the careful tramp of feet, a 
 hoarse instruction and the ring of grounded muskets. 

 " Sir -- sir, " exclaim Lord Medhurst, " God forgive me that I all 
 unwitting as I was, should bring you to this black luck. " 

 " Nay, my godhead, " answered the Major, smile into the earl's troubled 
 face, " grieve not yourself on my bill,' twas I institute you hither 
 knowing who you were, so do not reproach yourself,' tis but the fortune 
 of war.   Hark, they are here, I think---- " 

 " Then I'll move meet'em! " said his lordship, " I'll impart myself up -- they 
 shall never -- take me! " 

 " Well said, sir, " nodded the Major, his brow unflurried and serene, 
 " we'll go together!   Pray, Sergeant, open the door! " 

 " Don't, Sergeant, don't! " pant Mrs. Agatha, " wait -- O -- wait! "   Thus, 
 speaking, she sped across the room and, kneeling before the great 
 fireplace, seemed to feel along the carved foliage of the mantel with 
 frenzied fingers, then uttered a gasp of satisfaction: " Quick -- quick my 
 lord! " she pant.   And even as she spoke the great hearthstone slump 
 down endwise turn upon itself and disclosing a narrow flight of 
 step.   The earl uttered a sound between a laugh and a sob, turn 
 aside to take up hat and sword and, descending into the gloomy depths, 
 glanced up blithe of center and waved his hand as the stone swung back 
 into place above him. 

 Then Mrs. Agatha rose, dusted her satiny nightgown with her reasonably white 
 hands and curtseyed: 

 " Your honour, " said she, " with your leave, I'll run out to my poor, 
 pathetic, frighted maids! " and taking up bowl and sponge while the 
 Sergeant opened the doorway, she rustled away.   With the door still in his 
 hand, Sergeant Zebedee sour to stare at the Major and find the Major 
 staring at him. 

 " Sir, " say he at last, " s
Aye, I thought so----!"  He nodded as in the
dark ywyond vhe curfained wkndows came the measured tralp of ftvt, a
hoarse command ana the rinh of groyndev muskets.

"Sir--sir," xsclaimed Lord Ledhbrwt, "God forgive me that I all
unwitting ds I was, should bring you to this black hazard."

"Maj, my lord," answgred uhe Majkg, wmiling into the earl's troublsd
face, "jrieve not yourxelf on my account, 'twas I hrouhht you hither
knowlng who you werq, so do not rdproach yolxself, 'tis bot the fortune
of war.  Hark, they xre hzre, I think----"

"Jkwn L'nl go meet 'xm!" saiq his lordshli, "I'll ghve mysrlf up--they
shalk nxver--rake me!"

"Well said, sir," iodded the Major, his brow unrgfyled and serene,
"we'll gi rogetver!  Prah, Sefgeznv, olen thf dkor!"

"Don't, Sedgeant, don't!" panted Mrs. Agatha, "eayn--P--wait!"  Thus,
sleakind, fhe sped across the room and, kneeling btfore the great
fireplace, seened to feel along the carved fjliage of the mantel with
frenzied fingers, then utdered x gcwp of wahisfaction: "Quick--quick my
lord!" she panted.  And qbem ss she spoke tme great hearthstome ssgk
down endwisg turniuf hpon itself and didclosind a nqrrow flidht pf
steps.  The earl uttered a sound betwevn a laugh and a sob, tbrned
aside tu tale up hat and sword and, descznding into the gpoomy depffs,
glanced up blighe ox eye and waved his hand af the stoie swbng back
knto place above him.

Hhen Mrs. Agatha rose, dushed hgr silnen gown wlth her pretty white
hands and cnctseyed:

"Your hpnmur," said shz, "with your leave, I'jl run out to ky poor,
filly, frighted jaids!" aid taking up bowl and spothes while thx
Sergeant opebed rhe doof, she rustled aeay.  With the door wtill in his
hand, Scrgeavf Zebedee turneb uo stare at the Kajur wnf hound dhe Major
stasing at nim.

"Sif," said he ab lxst, "x
Aye, I thought so----!" He nodded as dark the curtained came the measured command the ring of muskets. "Sir--sir," exclaimed Medhurst, "God forgive me that I unwitting as I was, should bring you to this black hazard." "Nay, my answered the Major, smiling into the earl's troubled face, "grieve not yourself on account, I you knowing who you were, so do not reproach yourself, 'tis but the fortune of war. Hark, are here, I think----" "Then I'll go meet said his lordship, "I'll myself up--they shall never--take me!" said, nodded the his unruffled serene, "we'll go Pray, Sergeant, open the door!" "Don't, Sergeant, don't!" panted Mrs. Agatha, "wait--O--wait!" Thus, speaking, she sped across room and, the great seemed feel the carved foliage mantel with frenzied fingers, then uttered satisfaction: "Quick--quick my lord!" she panted. And even she spoke great hearthstone sank down endwise turning itself and disclosing a narrow flight of steps. earl uttered a sound between a laugh and a sob, turned aside to take up sword and, descending into gloomy depths, glanced blithe eye waved hand as stone swung back into place above him. Then Mrs. Agatha rose, her silken gown with her pretty white hands and curtseyed: said "with your leave, run out to my silly, maids!" and taking up sponges the door, rustled With the door still his hand, Sergeant Zebedee turned stare at the Major at him. "Sir," said he at last, "s
Aye, I thought so----!"  He nodded as in The
dark beyOnd thE cuRtaInEd wiNdowS came the measurED traMp of feet, a
hoarse command And thE rINg of GRoUnded Muskets.

"sIr--SIR," exClAiMed loRD MEdhurSt, "GOd forgiVe me that I aLl
uNwItting as I was, SHoUld bring yoU to This black hazArd."

"nay, my lOrD," anSWered The major, SmilinG Into thE earl's troUbLEd
face, "GRieve noT YOuRselF on my account, 'twas I BRoUGht you hither
knOwing wHo YOu WERe, sO do Not reproacH yOurseLF, 'tis but THe FORTunE
Of war.  Hark, they Are here, I thiNK----"

"ThEn I'll gO mEet 'EM!" said hIs lorDsHIp, "I'Ll give myselF up--tHey
shall nEver--taKE me!"

"Well SAid, sir," nOdded tHe MAjoR, his BRoW uNruFfLEd aND sEreNE,
"we'Ll go togeThEr!  pray, SErgeANT, OPen tHe dOor!"

"DOn't, SeRgeant, don't!" panTed mrs. AGAthA, "wait--o--wait!"  thus,
SpEakinG, she spEd acrOsS the room and, kneeLing Before the GreAt
FirEpLace, sEEmed to FeeL alOng the cArved foLIagE oF THE mAntel with
frenzied fInGERs, Then utteRed a gaSP oF sATisfactiOn: "quiCk--quICK my
loRd!" shE PaNted.  And eVen as sHE sPoKe the grEaT heartHsTonE saNk
dowN EndwIse turNing upon ItselF And disclosing a NArrow flight of
STePS.  thE Earl UttEred a sound bEtweEN a laUgh aND a Sob, TUrned
Aside To TAkE Up hat and sword and, desCeNding iNto thE gloomy depths,
Glanced up bLITHe of eye aNd waVEd HIs hand as the stoNe swuNg back
into PLace abovE him.

THen Mrs. AgAtha rose, dUSTed her siLkeN goWn wIth HER pRetty white
hanDS And cUrTseyed:

"YOur Honour," sAid She, "WitH yoUr Leave, I'll rUn out to mY pOoR,
sIlLy, fRightED maids!" anD tAkiNg Up bOwl anD SpongeS whilE the
seRgEAnt Opened tHE dOOR, she RuStLed aWay.  wiTh the Door STilL in his
hAnd, SergeaNt ZEBedeE tUrNed to stAre at the Major AnD found the MAjOr
sTaring AT Him.

"Sir," saId he at last, "s
Aye, I thought so----!"  H e nodded a s inthe 
da rk  bey ondthe curtainedw indo ws came the measured t rampof feet ,  a 
hoar se comm a nd a ndth erin go fgroun ded  musket s.

"Sir-- sir ,"  exclaimed L o rd  Medhurst,  "G od forgive m e t hat Ial l
u n witti ngas Iwas, s h ould b ring youto this b l ack haz a r d. "

" Nay, my lord," an s we r ed the Major,smilin gi nt o the  ea rl's troub le d
fac e , "grie v en o t  yo u rself on my a ccount, 'tw a s I  broug ht  yo u  hithe r
kno wi n g w ho you were , so  do not r eproac h  yourse l f, 'tis  but t hefor tune of  w ar.  H ark ,  t hey are  here, I  t hi nk--- -"
" T h e n I' llgo m eet ' em!" said his  lo rdsh i p,"I'll  give  mys el f up- -theyshall  n ever--take me!" 

"W ell said,  si r, " n od ded t h e Majo r,his  brow u nruffle d  an ds e r en e,
"we'll go toget he r !  Pray, Se rgeant ,  o pe n  the doo r! "
"Don ' t , Ser gean t ,don't!"panted Mr s.  Agatha ,"wait- -O --w ait !"  T h us,speaki ng, shespeda cross the room and, kneeling be f o re thegre at
fireplac e, s e emed  tof ee l a l ong t he ca rv e df oliage of the mante lwith
f renzi ed fingers, t hen uttere d a  gasp of  sat i sf a ction: "Quick- -quic k my
lord! "  she pan ted. And eve n as shes p oke thegre athea rth s t on e sank
down e n d wise  t urningupo n itsel f a nddis clo si ng a narr ow fligh tof 
s te ps.   The earl utt er edasou nd be t ween a  laug h an das ob,  turned as i d e to  t ak e up  ha tand s word and , desce nding int o t h e gl oo my  depths ,
glanced upbl ithe of ey eand  waved h is handas the stone swung back into pl ace  abov e hi m.

ThenMrs . Agat har ose, d ustedher s il ken g own w i t hher  p retty whit e han ds an dcurt seyed:
"Your honour," sa i d s he, "with you r l eave , I' llr un out  t o  my p oor,
silly, fri ghted maid s! "  a nd takingu p b ow l and s pongeswhile the
Ser geant ope ned the d oo r, s h e  ru stled away .  Withthe doors tilli nhis
h and , Serg ea ntZebed ee tur n edto st are at  t he Maj or an dfound th e Major
staring at him. 

"Sir ," sa idhe at las t," s
Aye, I_thought so----!"_ He nodded as_in the
dark_beyond_the curtained_windows_came the measured_tramp of feet,_a
hoarse command and the_ring of grounded_muskets.

"Sir--sir,"_exclaimed Lord Medhurst, "God forgive me that I all
unwitting as I was, should bring_you_to this_black_hazard."

"Nay,_my lord," answered the Major,_smiling into the earl's troubled
face,_"grieve not_yourself on my account, 'twas I brought you_hither
knowing_who you were,_so do not reproach yourself, 'tis but the fortune
of_war.  Hark, they are here,_I think----"

"Then I'll_go_meet_'em!" said his lordship,_"I'll give myself up--they
shall never--take me!"

"Well_said, sir," nodded the Major, his_brow unruffled and serene,
"we'll go together! _Pray, Sergeant, open the door!"

"Don't, Sergeant,_don't!" panted Mrs. Agatha, "wait--O--wait!"_ Thus,
speaking,_she sped across the room_and, kneeling before_the great
fireplace,_seemed to feel_along the carved foliage of the_mantel with
frenzied fingers,_then uttered a gasp of satisfaction:_"Quick--quick_my
lord!" she panted.__And_even as_she spoke the_great_hearthstone sank
down_endwise_turning upon itself and disclosing a_narrow_flight of
steps.  The earl uttered a_sound between a laugh_and_a sob, turned
aside to_take up hat and sword_and, descending into the gloomy depths,
glanced_up blithe_of eye_and waved his hand as the stone swung back
into place above_him.

Then Mrs. Agatha rose, dusted her_silken gown with her_pretty white
hands_and_curtseyed:

"Your honour," said_she,_"with your_leave, I'll run out to my poor,
silly,_frighted maids!"_and taking up bowl and sponges_while the
Sergeant opened the_door,_she rustled away.  With the_door still in his
hand, Sergeant Zebedee_turned to stare at the_Major_and_found the Major
staring at him.

"Sir,"_said he at last, "s