Joan's heart quaked as the stern officer marched up-stairs and proceeded to the principal bedroom. Colonel James was astonished by finding Madmannah standing in the midst of the room, leaning on his pike, with the door of the secret closet wide open. "Hast thou found the malignant prince?" he exclaimed. "Yea, verily, colonel, I have discovered his hiding-place, as you perceive," replied Madmannah. "There is the stool on which he somewhile sat--there is the cup from which he drank--above all, there is his sword. I have waited for you to make further search, that you may have the credit of the capture. But I claim the reward." "Thou shalt have it," replied Colonel James, stepping into the closet. He saw at a glance that it was empty, but feeling sure there must be some secret recess, he struck the panels on either side with the pommel of his sword, but discovering nothing, he at last turned to Joan, who was standing by watching his proceedings with ill-disguised anxiety, and remarked: "There must be a hiding-place here. Disclose it at once, or I will cause my men to break down the panels." Joan obeyed, drew back the sliding door, and Colonel James instantly sprang through the aperture into the inner room. Finding no one within it, he vented his disappointment in an angry exclamation. "Where is the malignant prince, woman?" he demanded, fiercely. "Gone," she replied. "That is all I will tell you." "Thou art deceiving me, woman," he exclaimed. But finding threats useless, he proceeded to make a very careful investigation of the little room in which they stood. Had he searched the outer closet with equal strictness he must infallibly have discovered the trap-door. Dreadfully frightened, Joan had great difficulty in supporting herself, and it was an inexpressible relief to her when Colonel James strode back into the bedchamber. "'Tis plain the malignant prince is not here, Madmannah," he said to the trooper, who seemed greatly disappointed by the result of the search. "I could have sworn I heard him," said Madmannah. "But there are other hiding-places in the house. Answer truthfully, on your life, woman," he added to Joan. "I will conceal nothing," she replied, anxious to get them away. "There is a priest's hole in the garret." "A priest's hole!" exclaimed Colonel James. "Show it to me." Joan took them to the garret, raised the trap-door, and displayed the cavity. After peering into the hole, Colonel James ordered Madmannah, who had followed him, to descend and examine it. Not without difficulty did the trooper, who was rather stout, obey his leader's injunction. But once in the hole, he found it impossible to get out, and had to take off his breast-plate before he could be extricated from his unpleasant position. He had found nothing, for the pallet on which Careless slept had been removed.