the gloom that the officer in command took off his helmet as the men
marched by into the court; and then, as he replaced it, he said quietly
to Roy--

"All this is not necessary, sir.--Quick, one of you; untie this
gentleman's hands."

For the first time that night, Roy felt giddy and sick with pain. But
he roused himself directly, for Master Pawson came up, and spoke quickly
in a low voice to the officer, who replied coldly, and with a ring of
contempt in all as he said, loudly--

"Of course, sir," he said, "in some things, by the terms of your
bargain, you are master here of the place and the estate. All that the
Parliament desires is the destruction of the castle as a stronghold; but
as to the garrison, that is another thing. We shall hold the place for
a time, and while I await further orders the prisoners will be my
charge."

He turned to give some orders, and the secretary turned to Roy.

"Yes," he said, "I am master here now of everything; so go and take off
all that tawdry rubbish. You will never make a soldier, and I shall
tame down all this bullying haughtiness. You never thought my day would
come when I was forced to put up with the insults and jeers of a
miserable cub of a boy. But every man has his day. Your party has gone
down at last, and mine is in power. Ah, you may pretend not to hear me,
and that you treat everything I say with contempt! Judas, am I, because
I saved bloodshed by a diplomatic stroke? Well, we shall see. You'll
come cringing to me soon."

"When my father returns, and, if you have not already been hung for a
traitor, he punishes you as you deserve. Shall I cringe to you, then?"

"Your father," said Pawson, mockingly. "Your proud swashbuckling father
is dead,--killed as he deserved, with scores of his fighting bullies.
You may look to me as your father now. Your mother and I thought it
better to end this sham defence at once. Hah! does that sting you? I
thought I should manage it at last. Yes, she thought with me. A fine,
handsome woman still, Roy, and a clever one, though she did pet and
spoil her idiotic cub of a son. But there, I forgive her, and we
understand each other fully now. Ha, ha! I thought that would touch
you home!"

Roy nearly staggered as he heard these words, and the next moment he
would have flung himself at the traitor's throat; but just then a
friendly hand was laid upon his shoulder, and the officer said--

"I have given orders for your