came the rush of heavy feet, the clatter
of swords, the explosion of firearms, the shouts of many voices:

"Hurrah for the Republic!"

"Down with the Carlists!"

Mrs. Russell gave a long, piercing yell, which drowned every other
sound, and flung herself into "His Majesty's" arms.

"His Majesty" tore himself away.

"What's that?" he cried. "It's an insurrection av the populace, so it
is. We'll so off an' mate thim."

With these words he rushed out of the room.

The ladies were left alone, and listened in terror to the uproar. Up
from every side there came the shouts of men, the tramp of rushing
feet, the clangor of trumpets, and the thunder of firearms. Far on
high from the battlemented roof; far down from the vaulted cellars;
without, from the courtyards; within, from unseen chambers, came the
uproar of fighting-men. There was a wild rush forward, and another
fierce rush backward; now all the conflict seemed to sway on one
side, now on another; at one time the congregated sounds would all
gather apparently in one central point, then this would burst and
break, and with a wild explosion all the castle, in every part, would
be filled with universal riot. Then came the clang of arms, the
volleying of guns, the trampling of feet, the hurrying, the
struggling, the panting, the convulsive screaming of a multitude of
men in the fierce, hot agony of battle.

In the midst of this the door was flung open, and "His Majesty" burst
into the room. His apparel was all disordered; his face and hands
were blackened with powder and stained with blood. He appeared to
have been in the thickest of the fight. He burst in, and instantly
banging to the door, he fastened it on the inside.

"We're betrayed!" he cried. "It's the inimy! We'll be captured! We'll
be executed! All's lost!"

At this Mrs. Russell flung herself into the royal arms. "His Majesty"
had by this time grown so accustomed to this that he accepted it with
resignation as part of the misfortunes of the hour, and merely heaved
a sigh.

But they were roused by thunderous blows upon the door. Massive
though that door was, it would soon be beaten in by such blows as
those.

"We're lost!" cried "His Majesty." "Is there any way out? Shure some
av yez know," he asked, eagerly. "Ye know," he said, earnestly, to
Katie, "the way--the way _he_ came--Rivers!"

"His Majesty's" position was desperate. At such an appeal Katie could
not be unmoved.

"Save me! Show me the way,