ate years, so that its old religious
character was to a great extent gone.

"I don't think it would be so very hard to get out," he said to himself,
"if a fellow made up his mind to it, and--hallo! here's some one coming
at last."

His quick ears had detected footsteps, followed by the unlocking of a
door; then the steps passed over a boarded floor in some empty echoing
room.

Then he heard voices, and the unlocking of another door, when the voices
and steps sounded plainer, and he began to understand how it was that
his shouts had not been heard, for the people, whoever they were, now
seemed to come down along a stone passage before they stopped at and
unlocked the door of his prison.

As the heavy old door was thrown open Hilary saw two things--one which
made him very cross, the other which made him very glad.

The sight that roused his anger was Sir Henry Norland, in elegant
half-military costume, with high riding boots and spurs; the other was a
rough, ill-looking man, carrying a tray, on which was bread, a cold
chicken, and what seemed to be a flask of French wine.

Certainly Hilary had just partaken of food, but a draught of milk and
some bread seemed only provocatives to fresh eating in the case of a
young growing fellow who had been fasting for considerably more than
twenty-four hours.

"Set the tray down, Allstone," said Sir Henry. "Don't wait," he
continued; "I'll lock the door after me when I come out."

"The skipper said I was to keep charge of the young lad," said the man,
surlily.

"Keep charge, then," said Sir Henry sharply, "but wait outside."

The man scowled and withdrew, whereupon Sir Henry held out his hand.

"Well, Hilary," he said, "you and I seem to meet under strange
conditions."

"May I ask, Sir Henry," cried Hilary sharply, and without looking at the
extended hand, "why I am seized, bound, and kidnapped in this
disgraceful way?"

"Certainly, my dear boy," said Sir Henry; "but let me tell you at once
that I had nothing whatever to do with it."

"Who had, then?" cried Hilary, with the blood flaming in his cheeks.

"That I cannot exactly answer; but from what I can learn it seems that
you were found prying rather too closely into the affairs of some
friends of mine, and they pounced upon you and carried you off."

"Yes, and I'll pounce upon some of them," cried Hilary, "and carry them
off."

"When you get your liberty," said Sir Henry with a smile.

"Yes; when I get my lib