a long breath by
way of preparation, he said, as he stepped forward:

"Now, sir, I don't feel disposed to leave you here while I go upstairs
to my old room, so have the goodness to leave."

"When you do, Mr Gowan--not before."

"What!" cried Frank fiercely; and he clapped his hand to where his sword
should hang, but it had not been returned to him by the officer who
arrested him, and he coloured with rage and annoyance.

"Ah, you have no sword," said the man coolly. "Just as well, for you
would not be able to use it. At the least attempt at violence, one call
from this whistle would bring help to the back and front of the house,
and you would be arrested. I presume you do not want to be in prison
again?"

"What do you know about my being arrested?"

"There is not much that I do not know," said the man, with a laugh. "It
is of no use to kick, my good sir. I only wish you to understand that
violence will do no good."

"Bah!" ejaculated Frank angrily; and he walked straight out of the room
on to the landing, trying to bang the door behind him; but the man
caught it, and came out quickly and quietly after him.

"What shall I do?" thought Frank; and for a moment he was disposed to
descend and leave the house, but he felt that he could not without first
gaining possession of the letter. It would be impossible to bear the
strain, especially with the accompaniment of the dread of its being
discovered and placing information which might prove disastrous to his
father in the hands of a spy.

The next minute his mind was made up. He determined to weary out the
man if he could, while he on his part went up to his own old bedroom,
which he used to occupy when he came home from school while his father
and mother were in town. He would go up to it, and sit down and read if
he could. The man should not come in there, of that he was determined;
and he felt that he must risk the fellow's searching the place they had
left.

"For if he has a key, he could come in at any time, and hunt about the
place. But how did he get a key to fit the door?"

Frank thought for a few moments, and then it was plain enough: he had
obtained it from the people who made the new door to the house.

"I must get the letter before I go," thought the boy now, "so as to send
word to father that he must not venture to come again, because the place
is so closely watched; and I must tell him of this piece of miserable
intrusion."

He took a