pile of deeds and
folded his arms.

At this juncture the discharge of musketry was heard.

"Hilloa!" said Devilsdust with a queer expression. Morley started from
his seat. Dandy Mick rushed into the room. "Troops, troops! there are
troops here!" he exclaimed.

"Let us descend," said Morley. "In the confusion we may escape. I will
take the box," and they left the muniment room.

One of their party whom Mick had sent forward to reconnoitre fell back
upon them. "They are not troops," he said; "they are yeomanry; they are
firing away and cutting every one down. They have cleared the ground
floor of the castle and are in complete possession below. We cannot
escape this way."

"Those accursed locks!" said Morley clenching the box. "Time has beat
us. Let us see, let us see." He ran back into the mumment room and
examined the egress from the window. It was just possible for any one
very lithe and nimble to vault upon the roof of the less elevated
part of the castle. Revolving this, another scout rushed in and said,
"Comrades, they are here! they are ascending the stairs."

Morley stamped on the ground with rage and despair. Then seizing Mick by
the hand he said, "You see this window; can you by any means reach that
roof?"

"One may as well lose one's neck that way," said Mick. "I'll try."

"Off! If you land I will throw this box after you. Now mind; take it to
the convent at Mowbray and deliver it yourself from me to Sybil Gerard.
It is light; there are only papers in it; but they will give her her own
again, and she will not forget you."

"Never mind that," said Mick. "I only wish I may live to see her."

The tramp of the ascending troopers was heard.

"Good bye my hearties," said Mick, and he made the spring. He seemed
stunned, but he might recover. Morley watched him and flung the box.

"And now," he said drawing a pistol, "we may fight our way yet. I'll
shoot the first man who enters, and then you must rush on them with your
bludgeons."

The force that had so unexpectedly arrived at this scene of devastation
was a troop of the yeomanry regiment of Lord Marney. The strike in
Lancashire and the revolt in the mining districts had so completely
drained this county of military, that the lord lieutenant had insisted
on Lord Marney quitting his agricultural neighbourhood and quartering
himself in the region of factories. Within the last two days he had
fixed his headquarters at a large manufacturing town within ten