eved. It was all plain enough: she had been deluded into admitting
an enemy--into playing false to her master; and these men would plunder
the house--perhaps murder somebody before they got off with their booty.
She thought not of herself; her whole aim now was to alarm the inmates,
and as her lips parted she would have uttered a shriek, but that it was
too late, for Gurdon's hand was over her mouth, pressing it tightly--
almost to suffocation, and the next instant she was thrown upon the
floor.

"Make so much as a sound, and one of these men will make an end of you
as soon as look at you!" hissed Gurdon, tearing off her apron and
thrusting it into her mouth. "Now, then, you proud jade, I've got the
better of you this time, drat you; and as soon as we've done, you shall
follow where I like. Here, Joe, stop with her, and if she moves, stun
her with your preserver. She's my property now. Come along, Harry,
this way."

For a few minutes Jane had struggled fiercely, but in vain; a piece of
rope was tied tightly round both arms and ankles, and every effort to
recover her freedom only resulted in acute pain. There was only one
thing open to her, and that was to get to her feet and contrive to fall
against the glass door, when she hoped that the crash might alarm the
house, or at least be heard by some one. To appeal to Gurdon was, she
knew, useless, and for awhile the despair engendered by the thoughts of
her misery crushed down every other feeling, but only for a few short
moments. Her whole thought directly after was on duty to those whom she
felt that she had betrayed, and, taking advantage of her guard's back
being turned, she contrived--how, she knew not--to get upon her feet.
Another moment, and she would have been at the glass door, when, with a
savage oath, the more horrible for being hissed in a low tone, Gurdon
stepped back, caught her by her back hair, and dragged her down, at the
same time striking her brutally across the face.

Jane moaned feebly, but it was not from pain, but despair at not being
able to help others. The despair, though, was driven away, and her dark
eyes flashed a fierce resentment as they looked full in Gurdon's, which
shrank from the encounter.

"Watch her this time, will you!" he said, brutally. "Hold a knife over
her if you like, while I go to the door!"

"Hadn't you best fasten the other first?" growled a companion.

"What, and shut off a way to bolt!" said the other. "No,