earned what they wanted.

"I can't admit you," he said. "The colonel's orders have been very
strict. I'll go and set your father's mind at rest, for of course he'll
be glad that he did not kill his adversary."

The captain nodded in a friendly way, and went back.

"He can't help himself, Frank," said Andrew. "Don't mind about it. And
there won't be any punishment. The King and the Prince will storm and
shout a bit in Dutch, and then it will all blow over. Your father's too
great a favourite with the troops for there to be any bother, and the
bigwigs know how pleased every one will be that the Dutchman got the
worst of it. I say, look; it's only half-past five now!"

"What: not later than that!" cried Frank in astonishment, for he would
have been less surprised if he had heard that it was midday.

"Here they come," whispered Andrew; and, turning quickly, Frank saw the
soldiers bearing in the wounded baron, with the doctor by his side, and
they waited till they saw the litter borne in to the guardroom, and the
door was shut.

"I say, who would have thought of this when we were going over to the
messroom yesterday evening? What shall we do now--go back to bed?"

"To bed!" said Frank reproachfully. "No. I have the worst to come."

"What, are you going to challenge one of the Germans? I'll second you."

"Don't be so flippant. There, good-bye for the present."

"Good-bye be hanged! You're in trouble, and I'm going to stick to you
like a man."

"Yes, I know you will, Drew; but let me go alone now."

"What for? Where are you going? You're not going to be so stupid as to
begin petitioning, and all that sort of nonsense, to get your father
off?"

"No," said Frank, with his lower lip quivering; "he'll fight his own
battle. I've got a message from him for my mother, and I have to break
the news to her."

Andrew Forbes uttered a low, soft whistle, and nodded his head.

"Before she gets some muddled story, not half true. I say, tell her not
to be frightened and upset. Sir Robert shan't come to harm. Why, we
could raise all London if they were to be queer to him. But take my
word for it, they won't be."

Frank hardly heard his last words, for they were now in the calm,
retired quadrangle of the Palace, one side of which was devoted to the
apartments of the ladies in attendance upon the Queen and Princess, and
the lad went straight to the door leading to his mother's rooms, and
rang.

CHAPTE