ase me; and yet in the face of all this, you deliberately
stole into his room like a spy, like a thief, to discover for yourself.
Rose Danton, I am ashamed of you!"

Rose burst out crying. Her father was very angry, and deeply mortified;
and Rose really was very fond of her indulgent father.

"Oh, papa! I didn't mean--I never thought--oh, please, papa, forgive
me!"

Captain Danton resumed his walk up and down, his anger softened at the
sight of her distress.

"Is it the first time this has occurred?" he asked, stopping again; "the
truth, Rose, I can forgive anything but a lie."

"Yes, papa."

"You never have been there before?"

"No, never!"

Again he resumed his walk, and again he stopped before her.

"Why did you go last night?"

"I couldn't sleep, papa. I felt worried about something, and I was
sitting by the window. I heard Mr. Richards' door open, and some one
come out and rap at Kate's room. Kate opened it, and I heard them
talking."

Her father interrupted her.

"Did you hear what they said?" he asked sharply.

"No papa--only the sound of their voices. It was not your voice, nor
Ogden's; so I concluded it must be Mr. Richards' himself. I heard him go
down stairs, and then I peeped out. His door was open, and I--I--"

"Went in!"

"Yes, papa," very humbly.

"Did you see Mr. Richards?"

"I saw some one, tall and slight, come up stairs and go in, but I did
not see his face."

"And that is all!"

"Yes, papa."

Once more he began pacing backward and forward, his face very grave, but
not so stern. Rose watched him askance, nervous and uncomfortable.

"My daughter," he said at last, "you have done very wrong, and grieved
me more than I can say. This is a serious matter--more serious by far
than you imagine. You have discovered, probably, that other reasons than
illness confine Mr. Richards to his rooms."

"Yes, papa."

"Mr. Richards is not an invalid--at least not now--although he was ill
when he came here. But the reasons that keep him a prisoner in this
house are so very grave that I dare not confide them to you. This much I
will say--his life depends upon it."

"Papa!" Rose cried, startled.

"His life depends upon it," repeated Captain Danton. "Only three in this
house know his secret--myself, Ogden, and your sister Kate. Ogden and
Kate I can trust implicitly; can I place equal confidence in you?"

"Yes, papa," very faintly.

"Mr. Richards," pursued Captain Danton, with a slight t