"No, madam; my father and Solomon always sit up together now till late." "Ay; plotting against my boy, I doubt not. Well, let us, then, counterplot. Who sleeps on either side of this room?" "No one, madam. Both rooms are empty at present; the last visitor, except yourself, left us this evening." "And the servants?" "They have retired long ago up stairs." "That's well. Sit here, then, close to me, and listen. You know that Richard is in prison, placed there by your father and that other man on a false charge. They know as well as I or you that he had no intention of committing the crime of which he stands accused, and yet they both mean to swear the contrary." "Oh, madam, they will surely not do that!" "But I say 'Yes;' they want revenge upon him. I know them better than you, who have known them all your life; or perhaps you say they will not, because you hope so. Is it possible," she broke forth, impatiently, "that in such a strait as this, girl, you can encourage such delusions! You are like the fool in the Scripture, of whom it is written, that though thou shouldst bray him among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him." "I know I am not like you, madam," answered Harry, piteously. "Richard has often told me how wise and brave you are; but yet my love for him is as great as yours can be. Whatever you think fit that I should do to help him, that shall be done. Trust me; it shall, indeed." "That's well said, girl. Be you the hand, and I the head, then, of this enterprise, and we shall conquer yet. I say again, that if they could, these men would swear my Richard's life away. They might as well do that as what they mean to do, and deprive him of his liberty; cast him for years into prison, and herd with the worst and basest of mankind; to work under a task-master with irons on. Do you understand, girl, what it is to which, unless we can hinder them, these wretches would doom him?" "Yes, yes, I do," she murmured, shuddering. "It is horrible, most horrible! God help us!" "We must help ourselves," answered Mrs. Gilbert, sternly. "Yet God is surely on our side, and for the truth, madam. If they swear falsely--" "You must swear also," interrupted the other, angrily; "you must meet them with their own weapons, if you would defend the innocent against them. As it is, the law is with them, and will prove the instrument of their vengeance. The notes were found upon his person; he strove to change them, that he might pass their substitutes more easily. He counted upon your father not missing them from his strong-box until it was too late. The case is clear against him that he stole them." "Great Heaven!" cried Harry, clasping her hands in agony; "and yet he did not mean to steal them." "Of course not; nay more, he did _not_ steal them, for _you gave them to him_." "_I_ gave them to him? Nay, I never did."