lmost wholly in black, and with a thick veil held in her hand. She was
very pale and stern; but her face lit up as the boy crossed to her, and
took her cold, damp hands in his.

"There," she said tenderly, "you see how calm I am."

"Yes; but if I could only go with you, mother!" he said.

"Yes; if you could only go with me, my boy! But it is impossible. No,
not impossible, for you will be with me in spirit all the time. I take
your love to your father--and--ah!"

Her eyes closed, and she seemed on the point of fainting, but,
struggling desperately against the weakness, she mastered it and rose.

"Take me down to the carriage, Frank," she said firmly. "It is the
waiting which makes me weak. Once in action, I shall go on to the end.
You will be here to meet me on my return? It will be more than two
hours--perhaps three. There, you see I am firm now."

He could not speak, and he felt her press heavily upon his arm, as he
led her downstairs and handed her into the carriage.

Then for the first time a thought struck him.

"Mother," he whispered, as he leaned forward into the carriage. "You
ought not to go alone. Some lady--"

"Hush! Not a word to weaken me now. I ought to go alone," she said
firmly. "I could not take another there. I could not bear her presence
with me. It is better so. Tell the men to drive to Queen Anne Street
first."

The door was closed sharply, he gave the servants their instructions,
and then stood watching the carriage as it crossed the courtyard. But
as it disappeared he felt that the excitement was more than he could
bear, and, in place of going back to the Prince's antechamber, he
hurried out into the Park, to try and cool his heated brain.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

CAPTAIN MURRAY'S NEWS.

The walk in the cool air beneath the trees seemed to have the opposite
effect to that intended, for the boy's head was burning, and his busy
imagination kept on forming pictures of what had passed and was passing
then. He saw his mother get out of the carriage at their own door, that
weak, sorrow-bent form in black, and enter, the carriage waiting for her
return. He followed her up the broad staircase into the half-darkened
drawing-room, where Drew was waiting to give her the important message
from his father.

"Yes," thought the boy; "it will be a letter of instructions what he is
to do, for they have, I feel certain now, made some plan for his escape.
But what?"

Then, with