ned,
she declares that we two would have continued to quarrel; and I suppose
that she was right, for when she was gone we fell at once into a sort of
confidentiality.

Northmour stared after her as she went away over the sand hill.

"She is the only woman in the world!" he exclaimed with an oath. "Look at
her action."

I, for my part, leaped at this opportunity for a little further light.

"See here, Northmour," said I; "we are all in a tight place, are we not?"

"I believe you, my boy," he answered, looking me in the eyes, and with
great emphasis. "We have all hell upon us, that's the truth. You may
believe me or not, but I'm afraid of my life."

"Tell me one thing," said I. "What are they after, these Italians? What do
they want with Mr. Huddlestone?"

"Don't you know?" he cried. "The black old scamp had _carbonari_ funds on
a deposit--two hundred and eighty thousand; and of course he gambled it
away on stocks. There was to have been a revolution in the Tridentino, or
Parma; but the revolution is off, and the whole wasp's nest is after
Huddlestone. We shall all be lucky if we can save our skins."

"The _carbonari_!" I exclaimed; "God help him indeed!"

"Amen!" said Northmour. "And now, look here: I have said that we are in a
fix; and, frankly, I shall be glad of your help. If I can't save
Huddlestone, I want at least to save the girl. Come and stay in the
pavilion; and, there's my hand on it, I shall act as your friend until the
old man is either clear or dead. But," he added, "once that is settled,
you become my rival once again, and I warn you--mind yourself."

"Done!" said I; and we shook hands.

"And now let us go directly to the fort," said Northmour; and he began to
lead the way through the rain.

VI

We were admitted to the pavilion by Clara, and I was surprised by the
completeness and security of the defenses. A barricade of great strength,
and yet easy to displace, supported the door against any violence from
without; and the shutters of the dining-room, into which I was led
directly, and which was feebly illuminated by a lamp, were even more
elaborately fortified. The panels were strengthened by bars and crossbars;
and these, in their turn, were kept in position by a system of braces and
struts, some abutting on the floor, some on the roof, and others, in fine,
against the opposite wall of the apartment. It was at once a solid and
well-designed piece of carpentry; and I did not seek to conce