e in here. I did hope that we should have been
down at the old house by this time."

"Yes, that holiday got knocked on the head. Has Lady Gowan heard from
your father again?"

"Hush!"

"Oh, very well; I'll whisper. But there are no spies here."

"Mother hasn't heard now for some time, and she's growing very uneasy.
She has been getting worse and worse. Oh, what a miserable business it
is! I wish we were with him."

"Yes, I wish we were; for if matters go on like this much longer, I
shall run away. Here, what do you say, Frank? I'm sick of being a
palace poodle. Let's go and seek adventures while we're searching for
your father."

"Seek nonsense!" said Frank testily. "Life isn't like what we read in
books."

"Oh yes, it is--a deal more than you think. Let's go; it would be
glorious."

"Nonsense! Even if I wanted to, how could I? You know what my father
said--that I was to stay and protect my mother."

"She'd be safe enough where she is, and she'd glory in her son being so
brave as to go in search of his father."

"No, she would think it was cowardly of me to forsake her, whatever she
might say; and if I went off in that way, after the kind treatment we
have received from the Prince and Princess, it would make my poor
mother's position worse than ever."

"I don't believe that the Prince and Princess would mind it a bit. For
I will say that for him--he isn't such a bad fellow; and I nearly like
her. He isn't so very easy, Frank, I can tell you. He's pretty nearly
a prisoner. The King won't let him go and live away, because he's
afraid he'd grow popular, and things would be worse than they are. Look
how the people are talking, and how daring they are getting."

"Are they?"

"Oh yes. There'll be trouble soon. Come on."

"Mind, I trust to your honour, Drew."

"Of course. Then you won't come off with me?"

"No--I--will not."

Andrew laughed.

"I say, though," he said, as they went past the quarters the baron had
occupied, "it was rather comic to see that cripple go. Just before he
got into the carriage, he turned to thank the doctor, and he caught
sight of me."

"What! did he recognise you?"

"I don't think so; but I was laughing--well no, smiling--and he smiled
back, and bowed to me, thinking, I suppose, that I was there to say
good-bye to him. He little knew, what I was thinking. Well, good
riddance. But the doctor--"

"Eh?" said a sharp voice, and the gentleman named ste