you have seen Rita?"

Don Carlos Montfort gasped and bowed, hat in hand. He and his companion
were evidently new to their role of conspirators, for they were
piteously ill at ease, and their dark eyes roamed about as if in search
of retreat; but he managed to say something about the distinguished
honour--a spare hour to visit his sister--delight at making the
acquaintance of a relative so charming,--here he stopped and looked over
his shoulder, for footsteps were heard, and he hoped Rita was coming.
Already he and his comrade were cursing themselves for having been asses
enough to be drawn into this scrape; why had they attended to a foolish
girl instead of going their own way? Now they were in a trap--was that
Rita coming?

The door of the secret staircase was open, showing which way the girl
had gone. But the steps that were now descending were heavy, though
quiet,--far different from the rush of an excited bird that had gone up
a moment before Margaret's appearance. They were to follow Rita,--she
went to light a candle. Ah! what was this?

The young men recoiled, and their dark eyes opened to their fullest
width; Margaret's hands came together with a violent clasp. Down the
narrow stair and into the room came a man in a black velvet jacket; a
tall man, with bright, dark eyes and a grave face. He held a candle in
his hand; he set it down, and turned to the two disconcerted Spaniards.

"My nephew," said Mr. Montfort, "I am glad to welcome you and your
friend to Fernley House. I am your Uncle John!"

Margaret was not conscious of any surprise. It seemed part of the play,
and as if she had known it all along, but had not been allowed to
realise it, for some dramatic reason. She saw John Strong--John
Montfort--shaking hands with the two unhappy young men, and trying to
put them at their ease by speaking of the bad roads and the poor
conveyances that were undoubtedly to blame for their arriving so late.
She saw and heard, but still as in a dream. Her real thought was for
Rita; what would she do? What desperate step might follow this
disconcerting of her cherished plan?

Unconsciously Margaret had moved forward, till now she stood the nearest
to the foot of the stairs. She looked up into the darkness, with some
thought of going to her cousin, telling her gently what had happened,
and quieting her so that she might come down and face the situation, and
meet her uncle. All at once, from that darkness above, a bright lig