taken refuge here. How imprudent of you to have mixed
yourselves up in this rebellion!"

"We could hardly help ourselves," Jack said, "but it is too late to
discuss that now. Will you look out of the window and see if the lane
is empty? If so, we had best make off without delay."

The young lady went to the window.

"No," she replied at once, "there is a soldier on horseback a few
yards to the right."

"Don't open the window, then," Jack said. "They have evidently put a
line of patrols along the lane. We must not get you into trouble," he
continued, turning towards her. "If you will show us the way, we will
go at once and give ourselves up."

"Oh, no," the lady exclaimed. "That must not be. But where can I hide
you?" and she stood for a minute or two thinking. "I think the safest
place of all," she said at last, "the only place where you would have
a chance of escaping, if a search is made, is in the general's own
writing-room. It is very bare of furniture, but there are heavy
curtains to the windows. No one would think of searching that room,
and the chances are that no one will go near the windows."

The lads agreed that the plan was a good one, and the young lady
hurried away to see if the room, which was not far from her own, was
still empty. She returned in a minute, and beckoned to them to follow
her. They soon arrived at a room which was simply furnished with a few
chairs and an armchair placed at a table. Across the two windows hung
heavy curtains, and behind these the midshipmen took their places, the
curtains extending far enough beyond the windows for them to stand
between them and the walls; so that any one going to the windows would
not necessarily see them. Then leaving them with many injunctions to
remain quiet, and with a promise to return at the end of the day and
release them, she left, being, she said, due with her pupils at nine
o'clock.

For half an hour the boys conversed in low tones with each other as to
their chances of escape. Then footsteps were heard, and the governor
entered, followed by several officers. He took his seat at the table.

"If," he said to one of them, "your report, that you were so short a
distance behind these men that it was impossible they could have
reached the end of the lane before you entered it, be correct, it is
clear they must have taken refuge here. You did quite right to place a
cordon all round the palace. Write an order at once for the chief of
police t