two
from this glass between her lips. It is stronger than that you have
in your hand. She has had a terrible shock, but as soon as she
hears that your father is alive, it will do more for her than all
our services."

"Will he live, sir?"

"That I cannot say for certain, but I have great hopes that he will
do so. However, I will send a surgeon out, as soon as I get to the
city."

The lady was longer in her swoon than Fergus had expected, and the
servants had returned before she opened her eyes.

"Now," he said, "do four of you lend me your assistance. It would
be well to carry this sofa with your master into the next room; and
then we will take your mistress in there, too, so that she will be
spared seeing these ruffians scattered about, when she comes to
herself."

The doors leading to the adjoining apartment were opened, candles
lighted there, and the wounded man carried in on his sofa.

"And now for your mistress. It will be easier to lift her out of
the chair, and carry her in bodily."

This he did, with the assistance of two of the servants.

"Now," he said to the young girl, "do you stay by her, my brave
maid. I think she will recover in a minute or two. Her eyelids
moved as I brought her in. I will look round and see about things.

"Were these the only two men in the house?" he asked the other
women, as he joined them on the landing.

"No, sir. There were six men. The other four have gone to bed, but
the two outside always waited up till the count and countess
retired."

"Where are their rooms?" he asked, taking a candle.

One of the women led him upstairs. As he expected, he found the
four men lying dead. One had apparently leapt up as the door was
opened, and the other three had been killed in their beds.

"Where can I get help from?"

"There are the men at the stables. It is at the back of the house,
three or four hundred yards away."

"Well, take one of the other women with you, and go and rouse them.
Tell them to dress and come here, at once."

He now went down to the gate, undid the fastening, and then led his
horse up to the house. In a few minutes the stablemen arrived. He
ordered them to carry the bodies of the six marauders out, and lay
them in front of the house. When they had done so, they were to
take those of the servants and place them in an outhouse. Then he
went upstairs again.

"The countess has recovered, sir," one of the women said.

"Tell her that I will send one of t