"My lady is still in a faint," said I. "Faint or no, she must come. Tell them I am here." He spoke as a soldier with authority; and a pang of jealousy smote me as I looked at his handsome presence in spite of its disguise. I went to my lady's room and announced him. She lay half stupified, with her eyes open, her bosom heaving, and a choking sob in her throat. Miss Kit kneeled at the bedside and held her hand. Both were too numb and dazed to express much amazement at the news I brought; and when Captain Lestrange followed me in, no breath was wasted on empty greetings. "I lodge in an attic six houses away. If you could only get on to the roof," said he, "you would reach it easily." "We are not far from the roof already," said I, pointing to a corner of the ceiling through which, even as we spoke, flakes of snow were drifting into the room. Captain Lestrange took a log of fuel and poked the hole, till it was large enough to let a person through. He bade me tear the sheet, make a band of it, and fasten it round my mistress, while he clambered through my window on to the roof. It was a perilous climb, but the captain was lithe and active as a cat. In a minute we saw him looking in through the hole in the ceiling. "Now hand me the end of the band," said he, "and come here and help me to haul.--Nerve yourself, cousin, and all will be well." Between us, we had no difficulty in drawing the poor lady through the opening on to the roof; and when we let down the band for Miss Kit, her light, little form followed readily enough. "Down," said the captain, crouching in the gutter of the parapet and beginning to crawl along it. We followed painfully and slowly, finding the journey very long, and expecting any moment to hear the pursuer behind. Presently we came to a halt, and saw our conductor remove some slates and discover an opening into the house below. Once more the linen band came into requisition. The ladies were lowered into the room. The captain and I paused to set the slates, so that no one should be able to detect the place of our entrance. Then he swung himself over the parapet on to the ledge of the little window below, bidding me follow. Next moment we stood, all four of us, in a tiny chamber, no bigger than a cupboard, with nothing in it but a little bed, a chair, and a shelf, on which stood a loaf and a bottle of wine. "Welcome to my humble quarters, cousins," said he. "They are neither large nor water-tight, but I natter myself they are airy and command an extensive view. We will be safe here till night, but then we must seek something more spacious and secluded." And with all the grace in the world, he poured out a glass of wine for my lady and begged her to drink it. Presently Miss Kit said, with the first smile I had seen on her face that day,-- "I am too bewildered to ask questions, otherwise I should like to know how all this has come to pass."