"Oh! you darling sweet Master Raphael! Is it yourself that is there?"
exclaimed Miss Tabby, delightedly. "Is it yourself indeed? Oh, tell the
gentleman what a faithful servant I have been, and how my young lady
loved me! and how she'd fret herself to death if I was to be drownded,
all through coming to her help in her trouble to-night!" pleaded the
poor creature, clasping her hands.

"Father, bring her off, for our sakes, if not for her own," said the
boy, diplomatically; "for if we leave her here, and she should be saved
by others, she may betray our secret."

"That is true," admitted the elder man. "So we will save the poor old
wretch, but only upon conditions. Here, you old devil!" he called,
turning to the woman.

"Yes, sir," said Miss Tabby, opening and clasping her hands.

"If I take you off in the boat to-night, and drop you down safe
somewhere on dry land, will you promise never to tell any living soul
who rescued you?"

"Yes, sir! yes, sir! and swear to it on the Bible! which there is one on
the table handy, sir!" eagerly assented Miss Tabby.

"And will you also promise never to speak of our visit to this cell
to-night?"

"Yes, sir! yes, sir! and swear to it!"

"And never to mention how Mrs. Berners and her child were saved?"

"Oh yes, sir!"

"Nor even that she was saved at all?"

"Oh yes, sir! and swear to it!"

"And you will never betray the secret, by word or sign?"

"No, sir!"

"But keep it to the day of your death?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Get the book, then, and take the oath. Raphael, take the child to the
boat and lay it on the blankets there, and then come back and help the
woman off. And, good Heaven! make haste! We must get away from here
immediately. I hear footsteps along the corridor! Some one is coming!
Haste! We must not allow Sybil Berners to be rescued through the door.
That would be worse than being left to drown! Haste, I say!" exclaimed
the man, speaking rapidly and excitedly as he caught up another quilt
and cast it over Sybil's form, and hurried with her towards the open
window.

There was indeed the most pressing need of haste, for more reasons than
one: the rising waters were now oozing through the stone walls and
covering the floor inside, while outside the flood was almost up to the
window sill. In a very few moments it would overflow the place.

Raphael laid the child down where he had been told to put her, and then
ran back into the cell to help Miss Tabby, who ha