She had taken it all to herself, and in the most open way; while Katie didn't take it at all. "His Majesty" saw this, and determined to be more direct. "Well," said he, "ye see--" But at this moment a wild yell sounded forth from without, with sudden and appalling fury. It burst upon their ears, from the stillness of midnight, with terrific violence, chilling the very blood in their veins. Then came the rush of heavy feet, the clatter of swords, the explosion of firearms, the shouts of many voices: "Hurrah for the Republic!" "Down with the Carlists!" Mrs. Russell gave a long, piercing yell, which drowned every other sound, and flung herself into "His Majesty's" arms. "His Majesty" tore himself away. "What's that?" he cried. "It's an insurrection av the populace, so it is. We'll so off an' mate thim." With these words he rushed out of the room. The ladies were left alone, and listened in terror to the uproar. Up from every side there came the shouts of men, the tramp of rushing feet, the clangor of trumpets, and the thunder of firearms. Far on high from the battlemented roof; far down from the vaulted cellars; without, from the courtyards; within, from unseen chambers, came the uproar of fighting-men. There was a wild rush forward, and another fierce rush backward; now all the conflict seemed to sway on one side, now on another; at one time the congregated sounds would all gather apparently in one central point, then this would burst and break, and with a wild explosion all the castle, in every part, would be filled with universal riot. Then came the clang of arms, the volleying of guns, the trampling of feet, the hurrying, the struggling, the panting, the convulsive screaming of a multitude of men in the fierce, hot agony of battle. In the midst of this the door was flung open, and "His Majesty" burst into the room. His apparel was all disordered; his face and hands were blackened with powder and stained with blood. He appeared to have been in the thickest of the fight. He burst in, and instantly banging to the door, he fastened it on the inside. "We're betrayed!" he cried. "It's the inimy! We'll be captured! We'll be executed! All's lost!" At this Mrs. Russell flung herself into the royal arms. "His Majesty" had by this time grown so accustomed to this that he accepted it with resignation as part of the misfortunes of the hour, and merely heaved a sigh. But they were roused by thunderous blows upon the door. Massive though that door was, it would soon be beaten in by such blows as those. "We're lost!" cried "His Majesty." "Is there any way out? Shure some av yez know," he asked, eagerly. "Ye know," he said, earnestly, to Katie, "the way--the way _he_ came--Rivers!" "His Majesty's" position was desperate. At such an appeal Katie could not be unmoved. "Save me! Show me the way," repeated "His Majesty." Katie said nothing. She hurried toward the fireplace. "His Majesty" followed. Mrs. Russell still clung to the royal person.