ted the tall bracken, he was
unable to find him for a few minutes, and when he did, the figure was
recumbent, utterly exhausted, and sleeping hard, while he did not even
move as Waller bent over him and carefully thrust the pistol into his
breast.

CHAPTER FIVE.

DUTY OR MERCY.

"Oh, here you are, Master Waller!" said Bella, as he marched into the
house. "Where have you been?"

"Fishing," said Waller abruptly.

"But why didn't you come back to your dinner?"

"Because I have been out in the forest, and--fishing, I tell you. Why?"

"Because Martha has been in such a way. There was your dinner kept
three hours, till it was quite spoiled, and then we said it was no use
to keep it any longer; and Martha is in a way."

"What about?" said Waller absently, for his thoughts were still in the
forest along with the young stranger.

"Because she says she won't put up with it, and if you are to go in and
out of the pantry helping yourself to what you please, she will complain
to master as soon as he comes back."

"Oh, very well, Bella," giving the fresh-looking servant girl a nod.

"But aren't you hungry?"

"No."

"Well, you are a boy! You will want something to eat with your tea,
won't you?"

"Yes, I suppose so. But I say, Bella, have you heard anything about
there being soldiers in the forest?"

"Oh, yes," said the girl eagerly. "You haven't seen any of them, have
you?"

"I? No," said Waller quickly. "What have you heard?"

"Oh, I only heard what Tony Gusset said to Martha when he came in to
talk to her last night."

"What!" cried Waller. "Was that old stupid here last night?"

"Yes; but he wasn't here long. Martha won't let him stay. She soon
bundles him off again. She told me that he wouldn't be so fond of his
sister if she wasn't the cook and couldn't ask him to have something to
eat when he came. She does hate to see him here."

"But what did he tell her?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the girl pettishly.

"Yes, you do, Bella. Tell me."

"Well, will you promise to be a good boy and come back to your meals at
proper times, and not keep everything waiting about?"

"Oh, yes, of course. Now what was it?"

"Oh, he told her that the French had landed on the coast to turn the
King off the throne and put a new foreign one on it, and that the
soldiers had met them and beaten them, all but a few who were spies, and
had hidden themselves in the forest; but they were catching them all
till