re--they are coming here!" cried one of the
servant girls. "We shall all be murdered, and the castle will be burnt.
Oh, Mistress Bertha, where shall we run to?--where shall we hide?"

"Close the doors, girls," said Bertha, calmly. "Perhaps they will not
come here."

The sound of the footsteps drew nearer and nearer. One room after the
other was entered, and at last that next to the nursery. A moment
afterwards the nursery door was violently shaken. Bertha made a sign to
the women to keep silence, but in vain: as a heavy blow was struck
against the door, one of them shrieked out. Some words in a strange
language were spoken by men with gruff voices, and the next instant the
door was burst open, and a dozen or more armed men, fierce looking
fellows, rushed into the room. The girls fled to the extreme corner,
but the pirates--for that they were desperadoes of that description,
there seemed no doubt--took at first but little notice of them, turning
all their attention to Bertha and the two children. A tall sinewy
fellow, with long moustachios, stalked up to her, and, before she was
aware of what he was about, snatched one of the children from her, and
scrutinising its countenance returned it to her, and then seized the
other, which he examined still more minutely. He seemed sorely puzzled,
and pulled away furiously at his moustachios, while he talked and
gesticulated to his companions.

They then commenced an examination of the children, and were so absorbed
in the matter, that the serving girls were able to make their escape
from the room, while poor Bertha was left alone with the savage-looking
band of strangers. However, the matter was soon decided. The tall man,
who seemed to be the captain, attempted to snatch the one he had first
seized from poor Bertha's grasp. In vain she struggled, and entreated
him to let it go. Both the little fellows shrieked out with terror, as,
hugging them in her arms, she endeavoured to escape from him; but,
tearing the child from her, he held it up to his companions, and seemed
to be asking them certain questions. They nodded in return; and while
two of them held back poor Bertha, who was struggling to regain the
child, he threw a cloak over it, and, calling to his followers, hurried
down stairs. Bertha attempted to follow, in the hopes of regaining the
child, but, overcome with terror and agitation, she sunk exhausted on
the ground. The marauders took their way to the pos