"Where am I to be lodged, good dame?" asked Charles. "There is a very fine old bed in the squire's room as we call it," replied Joan--"Squire Peter Giffard, and his father, ay, and his grandfather, Squire John Giffard, who built this house, have often slept in it--but I dare not offer it to your majesty." "Lodge me where you will, good dame," replied the king, with manifest symptoms of fatigue. "I wish you all good night." "Shall I attend your majesty?" said Careless. Charles declined, and preceded by Joan, who carried a light, mounted an oak staircase, which sprang from the further end of the hall. On arriving at the landing-place, his conductress opened the door of a good-sized apartment, in the midst of which stood a large old-fashioned bed, with rich, though faded curtains. The room, which had a most comfortable look in the eyes of the wearied monarch, was panelled with black oak, and partly hung with tapestry. On the walls were portraits of Sir Thomas Giffard, tenth Lord of Chillington, and his two spouses--Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Montgomery, of Caverswall, and Ursula, daughter of Sir Robert Throckmorton, of Coughton--both extremely handsome women. Having drawn aside a piece of the arras opposite the foot of the bed, Joan opened a sliding panel in the wainscot, and a dark closet was then revealed. "Is this the hiding-place?" asked Charles. "Your majesty shall see," she replied. And she then opened another sliding panel at the back of the closet. The aperture thus discovered admitted them to a small square room, which evidently formed part of the projecting chimney-stack, and had small windows at the front and at either side, looking into the garden. It was evident from its position that the room stood over the porch. "This cannot be a hiding-place," said Charles. "Your majesty is right," replied Joan. "But it deceives the searchers." She then drew back, and signing to the king to follow her, returned to the closet, and taking up a small mat in one corner, raised up a trap-door, so artfully contrived in the floor, that Charles could not detect it, and disclosed a small ladder, leading to a room beneath. "There is the hiding-place," she said. "The small room below is built in the chimney, whence by a narrow staircase and a small postern covered with ivy, you can gain the garden, and from the garden may reach the wood, where you are safe." "I understand," said the king, struck with the ingenuity of the contrivance. "A pallet bed is made up in the lower room. The place is small and uncomfortable, but 'tis safe." "That is the main point," cried Charles. "I must sacrifice comfort to security." "The Earl of Derby slept here all the time he stayed at Boscobel," said Joan. "Then I have no right to complain," cried Charles. "Should any alarm occur I will run up-stairs instantly and make all secure," said Joan. "Holy Mary and all holy angels watch over your majesty!"