or anything, and rising and taking his hat, he walked out and across
the courtyard, wondering where he was being taken, for he had half
expected that it was to the guardroom to be imprisoned more closely.
But a minute showed him that the growing resentment was unnecessary, for
he was not apparently to submit to that indignity; and now the blood
began to flush up into his temples, for he grasped without having had to
ask where his destination was to be.

In fact, the captain marched him to the foot of the great staircase,
past the guard, and into the long anteroom, where he spoke to one of the
attendants, who went straight to the door at the end leading into the
Prince's audience chamber.

And now for a few moments the captain's manner changed, and he bent his
head down to whisper hastily:

"The Prince has sent for you, boy, to question you himself. For
Heaven's sake speak out frankly the simple truth. I cannot tell you how
much depends upon it. Recollect this: your mother's future is at stake,
and--"

The attendant reappeared, came to him, and said respectfully:

"His Royal Highness will see you at once."

There was no time for the captain to say more--no opportunity offered
for Frank to make any indignant retort concerning the truth. For the
curtain was held back, the door opened, and Captain Murray led the way
in, slowly followed by his prisoner, who advanced firmly enough toward
where the Prince sat, his Royal Highness turning his eyes upon him at
once with a most portentous frown.

"Well, sir," he said at once, "so I find that I have fresh bad news of
you. You are beginning early in life. Not content with what has
passed, you have now turned traitor."

The Prince's looks, if correctly read, seemed to intimate that he
expected the boy to drop on his knees and piteously cry for pardon; but
to the surprise of both present he cried indignantly:

"It is not true, your Royal Highness."

"Eh? What, sir? How dare you speak to me like this?" cried the Prince.
"I have heard everything about this morning's and last night's
business, and I find that I have been showing kindness to a young viper
of a traitor, who is in direct communication with the enemy, and playing
the spy on all my movements so as to send news."

"It is not true, your Highness!" cried the boy warmly. "You have been
deceived. Just as if I would do such a thing as that!"

"Do you mean to pretend that this young Forbes, your friend and
c