am now?
There, everything is safe for the present. Where is your mother? Am I
fit to see her, though?"

Roy said nothing, but clung to the hand that grasped his; and a few
minutes later Sir Granby was locked in his wife's arms.

By this time a strong party had been formed to attack the flames; and as
there was an abundance of water from the moat, the day broke upon the
quenching of the last burst of fire, and revealed a sad scene of
desolation, the side of the castle on the east being one long hollow
range of burnt-out buildings, saving the hospital-room, which had
escaped, with a wide gap of tottering and piled-up ruins where the
magazine had exploded, hurling great masses of stone into the court-yard
and the moat.

The fire mastered, Sir Granby commenced forming a rough breastwork of
the stones, using for the most part all that could be dragged from the
moat, the Cavaliers wading in and working like labourers to strengthen
the breach, which towards evening began to look strong with the rough
platforms made for the enemy's three heavy guns. The work was so far
completed none too soon, for just at dusk a body of men was seen
approaching in the distance, and General Hepburn soon after appeared, to
find that he had been outwitted in turn, and that a long siege would be
necessary before he could hope to be master of the place again.

That long siege followed; and at last, weakened by loss of men and
reduced from want of food, the Cavaliers were unable to combat the
terrible assault delivered by the little army that had gradually been
gathered about the walls, and the castle fell once more into the hands
of the Parliamentarians, who were generous enough to treat the gallant
defenders with the honours they deserved.

"But they would never have taken it, Roy," said Sir Granby, "if that gap
had not been blown out. I'd give something to know how it occurred.
Could it have been done by that villain Pawson out of despite?"

It was long before the truth was known, when, after years of exile with
his wife and son, Sir Granby Royland returned to take possession of his
ruined castle and estate. For the young king had ridden into London,
and his father's defenders were being made welcome to their homes.

It happened during the excavating that went on, while the masons were at
work digging out and cleaning all the stones which would be available
for rebuilding the shattered side, that Sir Granby wrote a letter to
Captain R