the lamps at which the maidens had
been working. Madam Pauline ordered them to run and shut it. Scarcely
had this been done, when another blast, sweeping round the house, shook
it almost to its foundation, setting all the windows and doors rattling
and creaking. Even Stephen and Roger were at length awakened. The wind
howled and whistled and shrieked among the surrounding trees, the
thunder roared, the lightning flashed, the rain came down in torrents.

"Which way does the wind blow, think you?" asked Roger in an anxious
tone.

"From the south-west, I fear," answered Stephen. "And if so, Captain
Benbow will have reason to wish that he had got a good offing from the
shore before it came on."

"Surely she's a stout craft, and will stand a worse gale than this,"
answered Roger.

"I do not know what you would call a worse gale than this," said
Stephen. "It makes the house rock, and I should not be surprised to
find many an old elm torn up by the roots."

"I wish that I had been on board to assist our brave friend and his
crew," said Roger.

"You may have reason to be thankful that you are safe on shore,"
remarked Stephen. "Such a gale as this is sufficient to drive even a
stouter ship than the _Benbow_ frigate from her anchors; but we must
wait patiently till the morning to ascertain the truth."

"Why should that be?" exclaimed Roger. "I am not afraid of the wind,
and can find my way if it were twice as dark as it is.--Come along."

Stephen, however, who was not inclined to expose himself to the
inclemency of the weather, proposed that they should wait till the
morning.

"No, no," said Roger, rising and putting on his clothes; "if we are to
be of any use we should go at once."

"Certainly, if such is the case," said Stephen, also rising. "But I am
afraid that we can render no assistance to the stout frigate if she is
in peril."

"Let us go and see about it, at all events," said Roger, who had
finished dressing.

They put on their thick overcoats; fortunately Stephen had left his some
days before at the manor-house. They had hitherto awakened no one, and
had just reached the side-door when they saw a light coming along the
passage.

"Who goes there?" asked a voice, which they recognised as that of Mr
Willoughby. "Whither are you going, lads, on such a night as this?" he
inquired.

"We are greatly afraid that some misadventure may have befallen the
_Benbow_ frigate, and are going to see, father.