on the stone floor--a sound which told plainly enough
of their contents.

"Stand!" cried Sir Murray, as they turned to flee down the long passage
up which they had come--a passage leading to the pantry--"stand, or I
fire! I cannot miss you at this distance!"

One of the men uttered an oath, in his rage, for now a light appeared at
the other end of the passage, showing a footman, armed with a
blunderbuss, which seemed to alarm him as much as it did the burglars.

"It's no go," muttered one of the men. "Stow that, gov'nor, and I'll
give up. Come on, Joe."

"Not I," exclaimed the other, making a spring to get by Sir Murray, but
in vain: true to his word, the baronet fired, and with a shriek of
agony, the man sprang into the air, and then fell heavily upon the stone
floor, which was soon stained with his blood.

"Why didn't you give up, then, like a man?" whined his sympathising
companion, who was now hastily secured by two of the men-servants. "The
gent wouldn't have hurt yer, if yer had only give up when he arst.
There, don't pull a cove about like that, and yer needn't tie so tight.
I ain't agoin' to run away so as to get shot, I can tell you."

"Lift the other up," said Sir Murray, hoarsely; when the man was found
to be bleeding profusely, though evidently not wounded in a vital spot.

"You are not hurt, Murray?" whispered a voice at his ear just then, and
the baronet turned to find Lady Gernon anxiously scanning his face.

"No; not dead yet," he said, brutally. "Go to your own room."

Lady Gernon turned away with a weary sigh, and Sir Murray stood guard
over his prisoners, when a shudder of terror ran through the party
assembled; for, faintly heard, apparently from somewhere in the grounds,
came what sounded like a wild appeal for help.

Book 1, Chapter XXVIII.

A RIVAL EMBRACE.

Sir Murray Gernon was right in his surmise, for when McCray, eager to
secure the person of his supposed rival, hurried across the
drawing-room, and in the darkness made a bound to where he had seen the
lighted match fade out, his enemy had made a slight movement, so that he
failed to obtain a good hold; and in the brief struggle which ensued
close to the fireplace, McCray was thrown heavily upon the floor, and
his adversary dashed through the drawing-room out into the hall,
striking down Sir Murray in his effort to reach the library. But McCray
was after him directly, and had no hesitation in leaving his master
where he, to