the stone steps, careful to make his footing sure before he advanced
again. He thus, without breaking his neck, reached the bottom, when not
only did he hear the voices more distinctly and catch many of the words
which were spoken, but he saw a bright light shining through a chink of
a door before him. He approached the door in the hope of being able to
see through the chink, but this he found was impossible. As, however,
he was pressing against the door, it flew open, and what was his
amazement to see between two and three dozen people, either sitting or
standing round a long table, with many others, strongly armed, scattered
about the vault! The noise made by the door as it flew open was heard
by the assembly, and several men sprang forward and seized him ere he
could make his retreat.

"An eavesdropper!" exclaimed one.

"We are betrayed!" cried another.

"His mouth must be stopped," muttered a third.

"It would be safer to kill him at once," growled another.

"What has brought you here?" asked a fine, dignified looking man, in a
handsome costume of somewhat antique fashion.

"I am a traveller, and put up here on my way to the fens," answered
Jack. "I do not wish to injure any one, but hearing voices, and having
been told that the house was haunted, I came to see whence they could
proceed, not believing that ghosts could make such a racket as disturbed
my rest."

"The lad is no spy, or he would not speak as frankly as he does,"
observed the gentleman.

"I can answer for his honesty," said another person, whom Jack had not
hitherto noticed, rising from his seat and advancing towards him. "He
is ready to serve in a right cause and be of use to his country."

Jack on looking towards the speaker discovered that he was no other than
Mr Harwood.

"Thank you, sir," he said, "for your good opinion of me. I was, in
truth, on my way to visit you, to give an account of the mode in which I
have executed your commissions, and I'm sure that you will bear witness
that I am not addicted to telling falsehoods."

"A brave lad, and worth winning for a good cause!" exclaimed the
gentleman who had first spoken. "Mr Harwood having answered for your
fidelity, you will be put to no inconvenience about this matter, but as
we have affairs of importance to discuss, and the night is drawing on
apace, you must go back to your bed, and try to persuade yourself that
what you have seen is merely a dream which you are not at li