ot understood, Lupe trotted to Marcus' side, lifted one leg, and pawed
at him.

"Get away, I tell you!" cried the boy, and the dog barked a little, and
stood barking in the middle of the room for a few moments, before
turning and making for the window, where he crouched a little, and then,
with one effort, sprang right out into the garden, while Marcus subsided
into his old attitude with his face buried in his hands.

No one disturbed him, and at last the night began to fall, the shadows
in the room darkened and grew darker still, till at last the boy seemed
to wake out of a deep sleep, though he had never closed his eyes.

Springing up, he went to the window, looked out at the dark and silent
garden, and then uttering a low, deep sigh he crossed to the door,
passed through, and made for his father's study, to find there that all
was darker still. But he knew what he wanted, and with outstretched
hands made for his father's bed, when they came in contact at once with
what he wanted.

Then there arose from the place where his father rested night after
night a short, sharp, clinking noise as of metal against metal, while
the boy quickly and carefully gathered together the various portions of
his armour and accoutrements which had been placed there by old Serge
when he unpacked and sorted out the portions of the three suits.

It did not take long to clear the bed, and then, hugging everything
tightly to him, Marcus crept softly out through the darkness, listening
carefully the while before every movement, his acts suggesting that he
was playing the part of a robber; and he thought so and laughed to
himself, as he said softly, as if answering his conscience, "Yes, but I
am only stealing my own," and then made his way to his own sleeping
chamber, a narrow little closet of a place which opened upon the court,
where the musical tinkling of the water as it fell back into the basin
could be plainly heard.

In the darkness everything was wonderfully still, save that the music of
the water sometimes sounded loud, and when the boy rather roughly freed
himself from his burden that he carried by casting the armour and
weapons upon his own bed, he was half startled by the resulting crash,
and turned back quickly into the court to stand and listen.

As he did this the low murmur of voices came to his ear, making him step
cautiously across the little square court and go round to the spot from
which the sounds came.

There he s