“A dawn’t knaw, but a zuzpecs ’e’s abin at the bottom o’t,” was the deliberate reply. “Ef yu wuz tu luke out o’ yon winder, my laady, mappen yu may zee a false light a burning zomewheeres ’long the shore. They’ll a’ve tu putten out now we got this ’un alight: but I reckon they will ’ave abin burnin’ one all this time. God help any poor ships as may ’ave bin goin’ by tu-night!” Bride, shivering with a nameless horror, went to the window indicated, and there, sure enough, about a mile away, she saw the twinkling of a false light, the dread purpose of which she but too well divined. Heaven send that no vessel had been lured by its false shining to a terrible fate! “David,” she said to the old man, “I must go and rouse the men, and send down to the shore to see what has been passing there. It is too fearful. Are you afraid to be left? Do you think there is any chance of those wicked men coming back? I will send somebody to you very quickly, and the dog shall stay to protect you meantime: he will not let anybody touch you or the light so long as he is here.” “Lorblessee! Dawntee by afeared to leev me. A dawn’t think as they’ll dare come agin. They’d be vules ef they were tu. A’ll be zafe’s a want in ’is burrow. Duee go and tell his Grace what they bwoys ’ave abin at. A reckon they’d not ’a dued it unless they’d ’a knawed as zome ship were like tu pass by. They bwoys mostly knaws what tu be at. Yu let me be, and go tu his Grace. Mappen theer’s help wanted tu the shore by now.” Bride hastened away with a beating heart, leaving the angry hound, who had never ceased sniffing round the doorway which led downwards to the outer door of the tower, to act as protector to the old man, in case the miscreants should again invade him with intent to put out the light. She rapidly retraced her steps to the inhabited part of the castle, and knocking at her father’s door, told him enough to cause him to ring the bell in his room which communicated with the men’s quarters, and quickly brought quite a number of them hurrying up to the master’s room, ready dressed against some emergency. The Duke had hastily attired himself, and was in earnest confabulation with his daughter by the time the household assembled. A few words to them sent them flying after lanterns and ropes, and Bride asked her father-- “What are you going to do?”