“Of a sudden he heard a voice say softly: ‘If, O King, you move you will surely die. Listen!’ Then he looked and saw in the darkness a dim figure with great white wings and was afraid, and as he listened he heard: ‘O King, around the throne of God a million courier angels are waiting in prayer. And at the noon of night the Christ will speak, and they will fly to set loose from chains of sin those who have this year offended a greater King than you. Hark, the clock strikes! They are on their way to open for you and many the prison doors of cruelty and wrong-doing.’ “Of a sudden the angel was gone and the nightingales sang again, while the King went to the gate and cried to the couriers, ‘Go, with my pardon.’ “Then in the palace the Princess said to her ladies: ‘Quick, take off my swan wings and never tell what I have done, or none of you shall ever be married.’ “Very soon came the King, and said, ‘I have seen an angel!’ “And so the Prince was set free and married that clever Princess and was ever after good and happy.” * * * * * “What a pretty tale!” said Mrs. Markham; “and now to bed, to bed, boys.” “Thank you, sir,” said Tom. Bill was silent. “Then it wasn’t a real angel,” said Harry. “Yes, it was,” laughed Verney. “It was a woman.” On this Harry, who had the gift of imagination, got up and kissed his mother, who, comprehending him, smiled. Just as they were going noisily to bed a servant came in and said an orderly was without. He gave a paper to Verney, who awakened the Colonel and gave him a letter. The Colonel rubbed his eyes and looked at it. “I hoped they had forgotten. Here are our orders to inspect the lines to-morrow on Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.” “And here,” said Verney, “is Montresor’s map of the forts in and about the city. He promised me to send it as a guide to the outlying works.” The twins having gone, Tom lingered, unnoticed. “Let me see that map,” said the Colonel. They spread it on the table and began to consider it. “May I look?” asked Tom, as usual curious. “Certainly,” said Verney. “I will explain it to you. See, here are bastions and these dots the cannon. Here is the _tête du pont_, a work to defend the upper ferry.” “It is rather droll to me,” said Count Einstein. “Eighteen thousand men ought to be bastions enough.” “Not for Sir William,” laughed Verney. “It is Montresor’s own copy,” said Grimstone. “It is signed.” “I should be pretty careful of it,” said the Count, a brave and well-trained soldier. This readiness to explain the plans to Mrs. Markham and her interested boy seemed to him unwise. More than once full knowledge of contemplated army movements had in some mysterious way reached the snowbound enemy. Mrs. Markham stood by looking over Tom’s shoulder, and presently said, “It is quite incomprehensible to me. Do you understand it, Tom?” “I think so. See, mother, in one place he marks a weak point.”