trength. I will be grateful for these mercies, nor allow
a weakness to overcome me again."

The lady now, with more care, adjusted her garments, which, when
wakened by the noise made at the entrance of the band into the house,
she had hastily thrown on, and smoothed down the hair that, without a
curl, lay on her temples. She paid the same attention to Neebin, and
then, crossing her hands, sat down to await what should follow.

"Has any thing been heard or seen of him whom we seek?" demanded
Spikeman of a soldier, as he entered the room wherein he had left Joy.

"Nothing, so please you," answered the man; "and Philip here says that
our search will be bootless, for that he is not in the house."

"A fine soldier thou, and a shrewd," said Spikeman, contemptuously,
"to trust what a prisoner may say! Call me Lieutenant Venn."

The soldier went out, and presently returned with the lieutenant.

"Hast thou discovered nothing on thy watch on the outside?" inquired
Spikeman.

"We invested the building so closely," answered Venn, "that had a
mouse attempted to run away, we had seen and captured it; but no sound
has broken the silence, nor aught met our sight."

"Has the whole interior been thoroughly searched?"

"But short time does it require to unshell the kernel of a nut like
this," returned the officer, looking round; "and Cowlson reports to me
that everything in it, save in the woman's quarters, (which his
modesty did not permit him to search,) is as well known to him as the
contents of his own cabin."

"I fear that the principal object of our undertaking is defeated,"
said Spikeman, with a look, of disappointment.

"Yea," said the officer, "the prey hath escaped even as a bird from
the snare. What is to be done now, seeing that Sir Christopher is not
to be found?"

Spikeman did not hesitate, for he had been considering the course to
be adopted in the contingency, and he therefore promptly answered--

"We have not entirely failed. We have at least the woman, and
important information may be obtained from her. The hope of working
her deliverance, or of making terms with us on her account, may also
induce the Knight to put himself in our power."

"I like not," said Venn, "a foray, whose achievement is the making
prisoners of Miles Arundel, of honest Philip, and of a sorrowful-looking
woman. Meseems it redounds but little to the credit of a file of twenty
men."

"I understand not," continued Spikeman, as though