al my
admiration.

"I am the engineer," said Northmour. "You remember the planks in the
garden? Behold them?"

"I did not know you had so many talents," said I.

"Are you armed?" he continued, pointing to an array of guns and pistols,
all in admirable order, which stood in line against the wall or were
displayed upon the sideboard.

"Thank you," I returned; "I have gone armed since our last encounter. But,
to tell you the truth, I have had nothing to eat since early yesterday
evening."

Northmour produced some cold meat, to which I eagerly set myself, and a
bottle of good Burgundy, by which, wet as I was, I did not scruple to
profit. I have always been an extreme temperance man on principle; but it
is useless to push principle to excess, and on this occasion I believe
that I finished three quarters of the bottle. As I eat, I still continued
to admire the preparations for defense.

"We could stand a siege," I said at length.

"Ye--es," drawled Northmour; "a very little one, per--haps. It is not so
much the strength of the pavilion I misdoubt; it is the double danger that
kills me. If we get to shooting, wild as the country is, some one is sure
to hear it, and then--why then it's the same thing, only different, as
they say: caged by law, or killed by _carbonari_. There's the choice. It
is a devilish bad thing to have the law against you in this world, and so
I tell the old gentleman upstairs. He is quite of my way of thinking."

"Speaking of that," said I, "what kind of person is he?"

"Oh, he!" cried the other; "he's a rancid fellow, as far as he goes. I
should like to have his neck wrung to-morrow by all the devils in Italy. I
am not in this affair for him. You take me? I made a bargain for missy's
hand, and I mean to have it too."

"That, by the way," said I. "I understand. But how will Mr. Huddlestone
take my intrusion?"

"Leave that to Clara," returned Northmour.

I could have struck him in the face for his coarse familiarity; but I
respected the truce, as, I am bound to say, did Northmour, and so long as
the danger continued not a cloud arose in our relation. I bear him this
testimony with the most unfeigned satisfaction; nor am I without pride
when I look back upon my own behavior. For surely no two men were ever
left in a position so invidious and irritating.

As soon as I had done eating, we proceeded to inspect the lower floor.
Window by window we tried the different supports, now and then making