en's sake, sir, torture me not thus!"

"I knew that to make my summons at the out gate would lead to a summary
denial by the sour porteress, so I experimented on the lock of the
little door into the lane, and admitted myself and Jumbo into the court;
but the great hall-door stood before me jealously closed, and the lower
windows were shut with shutters, so that all I could do was to cause
Jumbo to awake the echoes with a lusty peal on the knocker, which he
repeated at intervals, until there hobbled forth to open it a crone as
wrinkled and crabbed as one of Macbeth's witches. I demanded whether my
Lady Belamour lived there. She croaked forth a negative sound, and had
nearly shut the door in my face, but I kept her in parley by protesting
that I had often visited my Lady there, and offering a crown-piece if
she would direct me to her."

"A crown! a kingdom, if she would bring us to the right one!" cried Sir
Amyas.

"Of course she directed me to Hanover Square, and then, evidently
supposing there was something amiss with the great gates, she insisted
on coming to let me out, and securing them after me."

The youth gave a great groan, saying, "Excuse me, sir, but what are we
the better of that?"

"Endure a little while, impatient swain, and you shall hear. I fancy
she recognised the Belamour Livery on Jumbo, for she hobbled by my side
maundering apologies about its being against orders to admit gentle or
simple, beast or body into the court, and that a poor woman could not
lose her place and the roof over her head. But mark me, while this
was passing, Jumbo, who had kept nearer the house whistling 'The
Nightingale' just above his breath, heard his name called, and presently
saw two little faces at an up-stairs window."

"My little sisters!" cried Sir Amyas.

"Even so; and he believes he heard one of them call out, 'Cousin, cousin
Aura, come and see Jumbo;' but as the window was high up, I scarce
dare credit his ears rather than his imagination, and we were instantly
hustled away by the old woman, whose evident alarm is a further
presumption that the captive is there, since Faith and Hope scarce have
reached the years of being princesses immured in towers."

"It must be so," said Betty; "it would explain Lady Belle's having had
access to her! And now?"

"Is it impossible to effect an entrance from the court and carry her
away?" asked Sir Amyas.

"Entirely so," said his uncle. "The only door into the court is fit